Applying Meat Processing Wastes to Grazing Land

The Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 place certain restrictions on the disposal of wastewater from the meat processor and rendering plants on land where ruminant animals may graze.

This page contains information for —

• Farmers who use pastures for grazing ruminant animals on land on which meat processing wastes have been applied.

• Meat processors and renderers who dispose of their plant waste on land that may be grazed upon by ruminant animals.

The following advice is for the surface application of materials to pasture and also applies to farmland generally.

Paunch Contents and Manure

• May be applied to pasture.

• Ruminant animals may graze on land where such paunch contents and/or manure have been applied provided there are no visible signs of gut material/ ruminant protein. Ideally the paunch material will have been composted first.

Slaughterhouse and Rendering Plant Wastewater

• Before applying to pasture, treat the wastewater as follows—

• Remove float materials, and

• Remove sediments, and

• Screen it to the extent that it would be suitable for spray irrigation.
   

• Ruminants may graze on pasture where such treated wastewater has been applied provided the land and the vegetation are not visibly contaminated by the wastewater.

• Pasture may be harvested for feeding to ruminants provided the land and the vegetation are not visibly contaminated by the wastewater.

 Slaughterhouse and Rendering Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge

• May be applied to pasture provided the floating debris and settled solids in the wastewater were removed prior to treatment.

• Ruminant animals may graze on land where such sludge has been applied.

Page last updated: 8 June 2011