Central Queensland meat producers butchering local tourism, chef says
Restaurants and butchers in Australia's beef capital have turned their backs on the local product, claiming the best quality meat is being exported overseas.
Every three years, Rockhampton hosts an international Beef Expo, but for many years visitors have complained they cannot find a decent steak in local restaurants.
Local sous chef Justin Triffett said much of the local beef was not good quality.
"We're meant to be the beef capital of Australia and they just export all the good stuff," Mr Triffett said.
Rockhampton butcher Davey Dwyer said supply was a big problem.
"We've got to bring meat in from other places because our local meatworks won't kill anything for the local butchers," Mr Dwyer said.
"We've got two meatworks in the town and we can't get anything killed from the town."
Mr Dwyer said it was frustrating for tourists.
"A lot of travellers come up this way and then they drop into a shop and say, 'I want some good local steak' and stuff like that, and you know most of the meats come from where they've come from."
However, federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said it was not as profitable for local abattoirs to service the Rockhampton market when there was huge international demand.
"The cost for them to stop their kill and do smaller kills has made it uneconomical, and is part of the reason why it has stopped," Ms Landry said.
The local MP has called on local restaurants to do the work themselves.
"Some of these restaurants need to contact their suppliers and see if they can source central Queensland beef," she said.
"It's up to them to try and source the beef locally."
Source: ABC News, Harriet Tatham, 20th November 2015
Originally published as: Central Queensland meat producers butchering local tourism, chef says
