Big River Pork

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:30): Supplementary: minister, given that meatworks and the meat industry is a hotbed for COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia and overseas, can you advise the chamber what Big River Pork told you they were implementing in terms of COVID-19 hygiene to protect their workplace and workers?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade and Investment) (15:31): I thank the honourable member for his supplementary question. As I alluded to in my answer to the question, they have implemented a number of measures. They have quite strict entry procedures now: your temperature is checked when you turn up, even at half past seven in the morning, and there are security people on each of the gates.

Normally, at meatworks and abattoirs there is an opportunity to do a tour, but that was not an opportunity because clearly we are not meat employees; we were there as visiting members of the public or politicians. So there is a whole range of activities. They said it cost them about $70,000 a month to implement all the extra measures they put in place to make sure their employees are safe and that they don't have any spread or any infection with COVID-19. So nearly a million dollars a year Big River Pork are investing to keep their employees safe and the products they produce safe.