A WA parliamentary question addresses the closure of pig-selling facilities at Midland saleyards due to a WorkSafe improvement notice. The response outlines actions taken and potential timelines for reopening, indicating pig sales are unlikely to resume before Christmas.

AnsweredQoN 1205Legislative Council
Asked
6 December 2006
Portfolio
Agriculture and Food

QuestionView source ↗

MIDLAND SALEYARDS - PIG-SELLING FACILITIES
I refer to the recent closure of the live pig-selling facilities at the Midland saleyards due to the issuing of an improvement notice by WorkSafe. (1) What steps has the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority taken to comply with the improvement notice from WorkSafe? (2) When is the work likely to be completed? (3) When will live pig sales be permitted to recommence at the Midland saleyards? (4) Will pig sales resume in time for the pig producers to take advantage of the peak market conditions available in the pre-Christmas period? Hon KIM CHANCE

AnswerView source ↗

I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(1) What steps has the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority taken to comply with the improvement notice from WorkSafe? (2) When is the work likely to be completed? (3) When will live pig sales be permitted to recommence at the Midland saleyards? (4) Will pig sales resume in time for the pig producers to take advantage of the peak market conditions available in the pre-Christmas period? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(2) When is the work likely to be completed? (3) When will live pig sales be permitted to recommence at the Midland saleyards? (4) Will pig sales resume in time for the pig producers to take advantage of the peak market conditions available in the pre-Christmas period? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(3) When will live pig sales be permitted to recommence at the Midland saleyards? (4) Will pig sales resume in time for the pig producers to take advantage of the peak market conditions available in the pre-Christmas period? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(4) Will pig sales resume in time for the pig producers to take advantage of the peak market conditions available in the pre-Christmas period? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
I thank Hon Anthony Fels for providing notice of the question. (1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(1) The Western Australian Meat Industry Authority has already complied with the improvement notice, which required it to obtain a structural engineer’s report on the pig-selling shed. Initial advice was that the shed should be demolished. WorkSafe subsequently issued a prohibition notice under section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that prevented the use of the shed. The authority is now investigating options to improve the structural integrity of the shed. (2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(2)-(3) This depends on the authority’s assessment of the options available. One possibility is to undertake temporary structural improvements as directed by a structural engineer to enable short-term use to the end of January, after which time the facility would need to be permanently closed. Another option involves more extensive work that may enable pig sales to continue during 2007. However, this would mean that the facility could not be reopened prior to Christmas. The costs and benefit of these options are currently being assessed by the authority. (4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.
(4) It is unlikely that pig sales will be able to resume prior to Christmas.

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