Activist group wants the public to take virtual tours of abattoirs

The Farm Transparency Project (FTP), which released footage of alleged animal cruelty at Tasmanian Quality Meats (TQM) and other abattoirs in 2023 has unveiled its latest campaign - virtual tours behind the scenes of meat processing facilities.

The digital walk-arounds of TQM and Scottsdale Pork published to the group's website are stitched together from footage and photographs taken during what the activist group described as its "covert investigation" during 2023.

FTP executive director Chris Delforce said the tours showed things "no members of the public are ever supposed to see", like offal being loaded onto trucks, and urged Tasmanians to vote for candidates prioritising animal welfare.

He said a decision by the government to hold back on publishing a report by an animal welfare taskforce - originally scheduled for March 5 - until after the election showed where priorities lay.

"We want to make sure that when Tasmanians vote this Saturday, they remember the appalling lack of action by this government on what should have been an urgent issue," Mr Delforce said.

"This attitude of 'kicking the can down the road' and hoping people forget about it, just isn't good enough."

Mr Delforce said any CCTV installed at abattoirs - something independent MP John Tucker had been advocating - should be publicly-accessible and anything else would be a "hollow promise".

He said the facilities targeted by the activist group had video surveillance installed while the alleged animal cruelty took place.

TQM made broad commitments to improving animal welfare after the initial activist campaign, which prompted a federal review, and fired two employees who committed the alleged acts of cruelty.

In response to the latest activist campaign, a TQM spokesperson said the company would continue to work to ensure animal welfare standards were upheld.

"TQM is committed to upholding the highest levels of animal welfare standards and continue to work with Government and stakeholders to ensure this is achieved," they said.