NEW federal government grants totalling just over $210,000 will ensure local abattoir E C Throsby Pty Limited at Whittingham remains a model of safety and energy efficiency.
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The Singleton abattoir successfully applied for a $176,095 grant designated to improve the safety of the facilities used by livestock truck drivers.
They were also successful in securing $38,663 from the Clean Technology Investment Programs to cover one third of the cost of a new high efficiency burner for their boiler.
Federal member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon visited the abattoir last Tuesday to see where grant money had been invested at the site.
Mr Fitzgibbon said trucks carrying loads of livestock are common sight on roads and many work in out-dated facilities and these much needed improvements will help protect rural truck drivers.
Throsby’s will use $176,095 to upgrade their current unloading ramps for livestock trucks, site lighting, the road surfaces that trucks exit on and to construct a bull drafting yard in order to make truck drivers safer when offloading stock.
“You have to look after your own people and with the support of the government there’s incentive to contribute more money towards safety,” director/owner Edward Throsby said.
Throsby’s new high efficiency burner is already in use after being installed over the Christmas break and is saving the business 15 per cent on its gas usage each year compared to their older model.
“The boiler is the mainstay of the abattoir and the steam it creates is used for rendering and the cleaning of the facility, the savings on gas will add to our already low carbon footprint in the industry,” Mr Throsby said.
The company will return their investment in a new burner within two years through savings.
