Regional town reeling after big brand's factory closure
The closure of a major manufacturing site has left a regional community reeling, with hundreds of jobs at risk.
Bega Cheese says it will begin a phased shutdown of its Strathmerton facility, in northern Victoria, with operations expected to cease by mid-2026.
The cheese processing and packing site employs about 300 staff.
Bill and Cathy Ford, who have operated farm equipment supplier BWR Machinery for 17 years, are located not far from the factory.
The couple, who know many of the workers, said the closure would devastate the town.
"The loss of employment (will be) severe," Mr Ford told AAP.
The regional town has a population of 1072 and is about 250km from Melbourne, near the Victorian-NSW border town of Cobram.
Strathy Hot Bread Bakery manager Van Bui said she was worried about workers' future, saying it would be sad to see people move away from the already quiet town.
The Bega Group says it is working with staff impacted by the closure.
It plans to consolidate operations into its existing facility in Bega, in southern NSW, where it expects to create about 100 jobs.
Bega chief executive officer Pete Findlay said re-deployment would be offered to employees where possible.
"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," Mr Findlay said.
The closure is expected to deliver the company $30 million in annual savings, according to a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
Moira Shire Council chair administrator Graeme Emonson said the local government would work to manage the impacts on the community.
"Our hearts go out to the workers and their families who are facing this incredibly challenging time," Mr Emonson said.
"We will also be calling on both the state and federal governments for immediate and long-term support during this transition period."
A Victorian government spokeswoman said support would be offered to employees.
"We appreciate this is a difficult time for Bega workers and their families," she said.
AAP has been told the company did not request any financial support or assistance from the Victorian government.
Wendy Lovell, an upper house Liberal MP for the region, said the economic ripples of the site's closure would be deeply felt.
"It is sadly unsurprising that a company with sites in other states would choose to relocate to NSW, where business conditions are more competitive and government policy encourages ... investment and job creation," she said.
Bega will keep open its five remaining manufacturing facilities in Tatura, Morwell, Chelsea, Koroit and Port Melbourne.
The company employs more than 1700 people in Victoria.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Women in media unconvinced by gender equality progress
Women are being driven out of the media industry by financial pressures, stalled growth and lack of progress on gender equity. Career dissatisfaction among women has risen to 59 per cent, the highest level in four years, according to the Women in Media Industry Insight Report 2025 released on Monday. Pay has overtaken all other factors as the leading driver of women leaving their jobs, with 29 per cent citing it as their primary concern. One in three women is considering leaving their job and nearly half are looking to exit the industry altogether. Despite law reforms requiring employers to publish gender pay gaps and improve respect in the workplace, 74 per cent of women said their employer had not taken clear action to address pay disparities. Almost 80 per cent said there had been no meaningful improvement to culture or safety in the workplace. The report showed women working in the media were unconvinced about gender equality efforts, lead author and Women in Media strategic advisor Petra Buchanan said. It also showed a disconnect between efforts being made by the industry and how employees perceived them. "The media shapes our public narratives and is pivotal in how women are represented," she told AAP. "There's a lot of conversation about gender equality but women aren't feeling it in the workplace." Nearly 40 per cent of women surveyed were considering quitting, with this trend highest among mid-career and senior women. Lack of opportunities for promotion and managerial support were noted as the top career barriers. There are also major structural imbalances in leadership in Australian media. Despite women making up 41 per cent of the workforce, they hold just 23 per cent of chief executive and managing director roles. The average gender pay gap in the media is 10 per cent, with 16.4 per cent in publishing and 11.8 per cent in broadcasting. "Women are calling on media employers to lead with intent and communicate how they are addressing workplace issues, from closing the gender pay gap to implementing meaningful structural and cultural reform," Ms Buchanan said. "Employer and industry action is essential to address inequity and ensure women thrive. "Now is the time for Australian media organisations to double down, not step back, from their equality commitments."
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Women in media unconvinced by gender equality progress
Women are being driven out of the media industry by financial pressures, stalled growth and lack of progress on gender equity. Career dissatisfaction among women has risen to 59 per cent, the highest level in four years, according to the Women in Media Industry Insight Report 2025 released on Monday. Pay has overtaken all other factors as the leading driver of women leaving their jobs, with 29 per cent citing it as their primary concern. One in three women is considering leaving their job and nearly half are looking to exit the industry altogether. Despite law reforms requiring employers to publish gender pay gaps and improve respect in the workplace, 74 per cent of women said their employer had not taken clear action to address pay disparities. Almost 80 per cent said there had been no meaningful improvement to culture or safety in the workplace. The report showed women working in the media were unconvinced about gender equality efforts, lead author and Women in Media strategic advisor Petra Buchanan said. It also showed a disconnect between efforts being made by the industry and how employees perceived them. "The media shapes our public narratives and is pivotal in how women are represented," she told AAP. "There's a lot of conversation about gender equality but women aren't feeling it in the workplace." Nearly 40 per cent of women surveyed were considering quitting, with this trend highest among mid-career and senior women. Lack of opportunities for promotion and managerial support were noted as the top career barriers. There are also major structural imbalances in leadership in Australian media. Despite women making up 41 per cent of the workforce, they hold just 23 per cent of chief executive and managing director roles. The average gender pay gap in the media is 10 per cent, with 16.4 per cent in publishing and 11.8 per cent in broadcasting. "Women are calling on media employers to lead with intent and communicate how they are addressing workplace issues, from closing the gender pay gap to implementing meaningful structural and cultural reform," Ms Buchanan said. "Employer and industry action is essential to address inequity and ensure women thrive. "Now is the time for Australian media organisations to double down, not step back, from their equality commitments."
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Pacific solar pioneer, charitable Aussies earn gongs
Completing university in the early 1980s, Geoff Stapleton had no way of predicting how vital his chosen expertise in solar energy would be. "The industry was pretty well non-existent back then," he told AAP. Fast forward four decades, and Mr Stapleton can look back on a career supporting the rollout of renewable energy in Australia and further abroad, including the Pacific. As of Monday, he will also add an AO after his name, an Officer of the Order of Australia appointed for distinguished service to engineering in the renewable and sustainable energy sector, and to training and development. Mr Stapleton, 66, has been hands on with his Pacific work, personally training many workers across the blue continent, as well as developing industry standards. The rewards are clear: bringing power sources to many remote communities for the first time, allowing connectivity, business growth, poverty relief, and access to health. "To them it's a no brainer, solar is cheaper than diesel," he said. "Seeing people out there installing systems, it's very satisfying. "Just look at Vanuatu: there's no more kerosene lights, it's all solar lanterns and that's a major heath saving." He isn't done, and is realising a dream of several decades, this year breaking ground to build a regional training centre for renewable workers in Suva, alongside the University of the South Pacific's TAFE campus. Mr Stapleton is one of a number of Australians given King's Birthday Honours for their efforts to support their nation's closest neighbours in the Pacific. Dennis Perry, the co-founder of Papua New Guinea-based charity Operation Life, is another, awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for his decades of volunteer work. Mr Perry, 77, said he was moved to begin his education and poverty alleviation-focused charity after seeing a family burrowing in rubbish dump for food in Tonga. "You talk as a kid about being a good Samaritan ... that motivated me when I saw a great need to do something about it," he told AAP. "Sitting in a church wasn't good enough. I thought God expected more than that." Operation Life has expanded from its Port Moresby base, where it offers poverty alleviation, an orphanage and a school, into the Central Province, with a rapidly expanding school in Kivori Poe. Enrolment is up about 300, with many receiving an education including how to grow crops. "When they leave our school they will have not only life skills but hope and dignity," Mr Perry said.
