Minister for the North Coast Don Page said he is disappointed by the news of job cuts at Ingham’s chicken processing plant at Byron Bay, but said he has been assured by the company today that it was a necessary measure and the company does have a long-term commitment to the area.

Ingham’s has announced that up to 80 jobs will be cut from the chicken processing plant it bought from Sunnybrand a year ago, and that voluntary redundancies and offers of alternative employment in other sections of the Ingham’s group were now being discussed.

Mr Page said after discussions with Ingham’s in the past 24 hours, he is satisfied that the company could not meet waste water management standards without increasing operational costs, and therefore had to scale down its employment and output to remain viable.

“The job cuts are a blow to local workers and their families as the processing plant is one of the major employers in Byron Shire, but when speaking with Ingham’s today they told me it was a tough decision and they are disappointed for the community as well,” Mr Page said.

“The company and the workers are conducting healthy dialogue, and arrangements are in place to prioritise the jobs of long-term employees, offer voluntary redundancies, and assist workers in finding employment in other areas of the Ingham’s group in NSW and Queensland.

“I am told that Ingham’s can not meet environmental standards for its waste water without a significant increase to its operational costs, and that the Environment Protection Authority was in lengthy discussions with Ingham’s about a solution.

“It is always disappointing to hear of significant job cuts in a community, but I am satisfied that this painful issue is being handled as well as it can be at the moment, by both the company and the workers.”