Fix to 'tarnished' reputation after abattoir cruelty claims

This comes nearly one week after activists published footage allegedly showing staff at Cressy-based Tasmanian Quality Meats (TQM) beating and kicking animals, and slitting their throats while conscious.

TQM on December 12 said two workers had since been fired and the company had committed to monitoring an array of CCTV cameras installed before the incident.

Primary Industries and Water Minister Jo Palmer said the revelations tarnished the reputation of the state and meat processors that were doing the right thing - something the government found completely unacceptable.

Ms Palmer said as well as a probe into the allegations at specific facilities - which involved investigators going through the footage frame by frame - industry-wide reform was on the table.

The taskforce will be headed by Felicity Richards and bring together industry groups and other organisations including the RSPCA and TasFarmers - formerly the TFGA.

The group will consider three key areas for reform - culture at abattoirs, Tasmanian animal welfare standards, and bolstering Biosecurity Tasmania by employing two new compliance officers.

Ms Palmer said the taskforce would be stood up in the wake of the TQM matter as previous attempts at reform had not caused lasting change.

"When there's been incidents like this, actions have been taken," she said.

"Penalties were increased, spot audits were done and still we are here in this situation. That's why we need to be thinking outside of the box.

"That's why culture is one of the things that's on the table. Everyone wants to see this stamped out and that is why nothing is on the table and nothing is off the table."

TasFarmers president Ian Sauer said the taskforce would put an end to behaviour farmers and the public considered unacceptable.

"We're absolutely delighted at the laser-fast response the government has shown," Mr Sauer said.

"TFGA have been saying for the last week that a suspension of the license with TQM is going to have much broader implications.

"We cannot be here again, as the minister has said, we're not going to tolerate those abattoirs trashing not only our livestock in a cruel way, but also trashing the brand of Tasmania. We just think it's unacceptable."

Among Tas Farmers' ideal reforms were installing cameras at all abattoirs, snap audits of facilities and a zero-tolerance approach to animal cruelty.

RSPCA Tasmania chief executive officer Jan Davis said the RSPCA and Tas Farmers were completely in step with one another when it came to the changes they wanted enacted to improve animal welfare.

Ms Davis said there had been too much complacency in Tasmania when it came to animal welfare standards, particularly in the TQM matter, where cameras had been installed but "nobody was watching the footage."

"We stood here, not on this spot but seven years ago and had this conversation, five years before that we had the same conversation," she said.

"There have been measures taken but there's been a lot of complacency around that. We welcome the quick response of government and we're going to be very, very committed to action, not words.

"We cannot allow this to happen. Our animals deserve the best possible life they can have whilst they're being raised, and the most fear free and painless death they can have. This is totally unacceptable."

Labor primary industries spokeswoman Janie Finlay said the announcement should be taken with a "grain of salt" and, until this point, the government had failed to provide adequate resources to departments.

"It is the Government's job to regulate the industry and they haven't been doing their job. The Government has failed to resource their own departments properly," Ms Finlay said.

"Let me be clear, there is absolutely no place for animal cruelty in Tasmania.

"How is it that critically important regulatory work is only being completed now given the significant implications this could have for the state's economy, agricultural sector and our Tasmanian brand."

Ms Palmer said the taskforce would be formalised by Christmas and would report back by the end of March 2024.