Bega to slash 300 jobs from its Victorian workforce
Two hundred jobs will be made redundant in Victoria, and another 100 moved to New South Wales, as part of dairy manufacturer Bega Cheese Limited's plan to wind down operations at one of its Victorian facilities.
On Tuesday, Bega Group announced that its cheese processing and packaging operation in Strathmerton, northern Victoria, will cease to exist by mid-2026.
The operation will be folded into an existing facility in Bega, New South Wales.
Bega's CEO Peter Findlay said the closure was aimed at simplifying Bega's footprint and having 'globally competitive infrastructure'.
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'We are very aware of the impact of this decision, and we are doing our best to manage this transition with care and respect for our Strathmerton employees and the local community,' said Findlay in a statement.
'Where possible, we will offer redeployment to employees and continue to support them through this period'.
As part of the change, Bega will invest in the Bega site 'to create approximately 100 jobs in the Bega Valley'.
Strathmerton, population 1072, has 49 locals employed at the Bega facility as of the most recent census, around ten per cent of the working-age population. A further 5 per cent work in dairy farming.
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