Media Releases and Statements

Footage from five Victorian piggeries has been released by animal rights organisation Farm Transparency Project, who say that a further 15 will be exposed in the coming weeks. Video taken inside the piggery shows dead and dying piglets, dirty conditions, pigs living in their own waste and sows with large pressure sores, cuts and scratches, evidence of fighting between pigs. The footage was gathered by anonymous, civilian investigators over two nights earlier this month. The investigators then provided the footage, and evidence of the date and location of its capture to Farm Transparency Project to review and publish. Footage from the first 5 of 20 commercial pig farms, covertly investigated by animal activists over one weekend earlier this month in an effort to reveal the reality... Read more >

Animal rights campaigners have laid dozens of dead piglets at the offices of Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, in a protest against the government's refusal to address "urgent" animal welfare issues. Advocacy group Farm Transparency Project (FTP) organised the protest after receiving footage showing shocking, filthy and cruel conditions at twenty Victorian piggeries, filmed covertly by dozens of activists over the weekend. Further footage and the names of all twenty facilities will be released by FTP in the coming weeks. Animal rights campaigners have gathered outside the ministerial office of Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, in a protest against the government's continued support of the pig slaughter industry. The group of around 50 protestors laid the bodies of dead piglets ou... Read more >

For more than 10 years, Farm Transparency Project has been a leading force in the exposure of brutal, systemic cruelty in the Australian pig slaughter industry. Our investigations have spanned the entire process of these pigs' lives, from the filthy intensive farms where they are subjected to extreme and prolonged confinement, sexual abuse, surgical mutilations without pain relief, and for those too small or weak to be worth the trouble of raising, a violent end as their heads are smashed onto the concrete floor; to the slaughterhouses where they scream and thrash as they are slowly suffocated by painful carbon dioxide gas, or poorly 'stunned' by bolt guns, rifles or electric prongs, their throats cut while conscious, and their hanging bodies used as punching bags. This industry has rece... Read more >

The Federal Court has refused to block the publication of footage of the slaughter of animals, which was illegally obtained by animal protection organisation Farm Transparency Project earlier this year at the Game Meats Company slaughterhouse in Eurobin, Victoria. The organisation will be allowed to publish the footage - which contains evidence of animal cruelty and illegal activity - once the month-long appeal window has passed.  The judgment follows a five-day trial in July where FTP admitted to trespassing at the facility and installing hidden cameras to capture footage of the slaughter of goats. In its judgment handed down today, the Federal Court of Australia has refused to grant an injunction to block the publication of illegally obtained animal slaughter footage, in a ... Read more >

The South Australian government has confirmed to animal protection organisation Farm Transparency Project (FTP) that it will not be prosecuting the illegally operating slaughterhouse in Snowtown. The Snowtown Meat Service abattoir, 150km north of Adelaide, was formally reported in July 2023, after hidden cameras placed inside the facility by FTP revealed a complete absence of 'stunning' for goats and sheep, in clear violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Animals are pinned down and their throats cut while fully conscious, before they are shackled and left to slowly bleed out. While the facility has an exemption permitting them to 'stick' animals without prior stunning for Halal meat, they are required to immediately stun animals after sticking to ensure unconsciousness before sha... Read more >

Dear Mr Albanese, I am writing on behalf of Farm Transparency Project, a non-profit animal protection organisation focused on raising public awareness about commercial animal farming and slaughter practices through comprehensive investigations into Australian animal use facilities. Over the past decade, our organisation has investigated a number of facilities and practices, catalysing significant animal welfare reforms. In recent years, this has included: Publishing footage of the foothold trapping and killing of native dingoes in Victoria by government contractors, stimulating debate and likely contributing to the Victorian government ending the practice in parts of the state. Investigating the failed phase-out of sow stalls by the pig farming industry in Victoria, leading to ... Read more >

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Cassy O’Connor and Abigail Boyd join state MPs to call for independent oversight of Australian slaughterhouses Farm Transparency Project, who wrote the letter, says that the government has failed to appropriately investigate hundreds of cases of alleged animal cruelty. The organisation is accusing the government department of corruption, claiming that their actions have raised doubts about their integrity and suitability to monitor and regulate animal welfare. Read the open letter View photos and footage An open letter, signed by a senator, several state MPs and animal protection organisations, is calling on the Prime Minister's office to initiate and support the development of an independent office of animal welfare, which would replace the federal ... Read more >

Hidden camera footage showing the ‘shocking' treatment of animals at a major Melbourne slaughterhouse has been released by animal advocacy group Farm Transparency Project. The footage, which was captured in June this year, depicts workers writing and drawing on the bodies of sheep and goats with blood, animals appearing to have their throats slit while fully conscious, goats and sheep struggling while soaked in the blood of others and even one mother goat giving birth in the stunning restraint, seconds before her throat is slit. The footage was captured at Cedar Meats, which has been rocked by scandals over the last five years, including being previously investigated for animal cruelty (2019) and worker safety breaches (2021). It was also the location of the largest cluster of ... Read more >

New hidden camera footage has been captured at a Victorian slaughterhouse, which has been previously exposed twice for animal cruelty. The footage, captured this year by Farm Transparency Project, shows sheep and goats being beaten and thrown by workers, as well as having their throats slit while fully conscious. MD Foods (formerly Riverside Meats) reopened in 2021, three years after shutting down. A 2016 investigation revealing significant animal cruelty had led to a mandated installation of CCTV to monitor slaughter. View photos and footage Animal advocacy organisation Farm Transparency Project has released new hidden camera footage, taken during a covert investigation by the group earlier this year.  The footage was captured at MD Foods Australia, an export-accredited, ... Read more >

A landmark legal trial has begun this week in the Federal Court of Australia, to determine whether animal protection organisation Farm Transparency Project will be restricted from publishing footage from a Victorian slaughterhouse operated by the Game Meats Company. In May, The Game Meats Company sought an urgent court order against Farm Transparency Project to censor the publication of hidden camera footage showing the slaughter of hundreds of goats at their slaughterhouse in northeast Victoria. Farm Transparency Project says that this lawsuit is an attempt by the slaughterhouse to hide its practices from the public, and that Farm Transparency will be defending consumers' right to know what happens to animals killed for food in Australia. A landmark trial has begun this week in t... Read more >

Animal rights advocates are demanding that the survivors from a horrific cattle truck crash that happened last night in South Yarra be released into the care of an animal sanctuary. The truck crashed into the Cremorne Railway Bridge over Alexandra Avenue, South Yarra at around 8.30pm last night. It was carrying dairy cows and calves, presumably on their way to be slaughtered. Advocacy group Farm Transparency Project attended the site to document the crash and are now calling for the surviving cows to be released to an animal sanctuary.  Animal rights campaigners from Farm Transparency Project are calling for the survivors of a horrific cattle truck crash in South Yarra last night to be released to an animal sanctuary, rather than sent to slaughter.  Investigators from... Read more >

The piggery of Victorian Farmers Federation Pig Council president David Wright has been targeted by animal advocates who have released new footage showing ‘cruel and sickening’ treatment of pigs on his farm. David Wright gave evidence during the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into pig welfare earlier this year, where he spoke about the high standards he maintains on his farm. Animal advocacy group Farm Transparency Project is now calling out the pig industry leader, publishing footage showing mother sows in narrow cages with painful, infected pressure sores, as well as sows in farrowing crates with over a dozen stillborn piglets. View photos and footageView interactive virtual tour Farm Transparency Project has published new footage and an interactive virtual tour from... Read more >

Farm Transparency Project is being sued by a northern Victorian slaughterhouse, after it gave the government footage showing acts of extreme animal cruelty at the slaughterhouse and published that footage on its website The slaughterhouse sought an urgent order from the Federal Court to block the footage from being published, without notifying Farm Transparency Project Farm Transparency has taken down the footage to comply with the order but intends to defend its right to publish it Prominent animal advocacy organisation Farm Transparency Project is being sued by the Game Meats Company, a slaughterhouse in Eurobin, Victoria, following the release of footage which shows acts of extreme animal cruelty. Farm Transparency Project had reported the slaughterhouse to the Department of Agr... Read more >

Photos and footage - protestPhotos and footage - FTP investigation Around 20 animal advocates are staging a protest outside the gates of Ralph’s Meat Co slaughterhouse in Seymour, Victoria. The protest is in response to new hidden camera footage, released by animal rights group Farm Transparency Project, which shows cows seemingly maintaining consciousness as their throats are slit and while they bleed out, as well as severely emaciated cows being herded to slaughter. The slaughterhouse is now under investigation by the federal Department of Agriculture as a result of the footage. The group has said that they intend to attempt to stop trucks dropping off cows at the slaughterhouse in order to capture footage of animals and offer them kindness. They are also calling on the slau... Read more >

View photos and footageView location evidence Hidden camera footage captured by investigators from Farm Transparency Project (FTP) in February 2024 shows ineffective stunning of injured and emaciated cows at Ralphs Meat Co in Seymour, Northern Victoria.  The daily slaughter of up to 500 cows, steers and bulls is documented, with many of those killed being dairy cows whose milk production has slowed. Footage shows workers jabbing cows in the face and head with painful electric prodders, and repeatedly hitting them with metal gates. Many show signs of consciousness after 'stunning' and even after their throats have been slit, suffering for minutes.  FTP's investigators illegally entered the property throughout February 2024 and installed cameras over the race, stunning area an... Read more >

Ineffective and painful stunning causes suffering to sheep, pigs, goats and cows.  Hidden cameras captured workers at Gathercole’s Wangaratta slaughterhouse using the bodies of sheep and pigs as punching bags, hitting them as they hang suspended on the shackle line, or as they are pulled onto the kill table to have their throat slit.  Footage also shows ineffective stunning of pigs, sheep, goats and cows who are shot or electrocuted multiple times as they struggle, before their throats are slit. Gathercole’s is the 13th slaughterhouse exposed by Farm Transparency Project in the past year, as part of a campaign to reveal the reality of Australian animal slaughter. Photos and footage: https://www.farmtransparency.org/facilities/59c0f-gathercoles-wangaratta-a... Read more >

30+ animal activists are protesting outside a Northern Victoria pig farm, after “sickening” bestiality act revealed last week. 30+ animal activists have gathered outside Midland Bacon pig farm in Carag Carag, demanding the release of the sow who last month was captured on camera being raped by a worker, while confined to a farrowing crate. A global petition to free the sow, who activists have named Olivia, has been signed by over 13,000 people. The activists have arrived at the farm with a livestock trailer and are demanding that she be released into the care of an animal sanctuary. The protest has been organised by Farm Transparency Project, whose investigators inadvertently captured the vile footage during routine surveillance of the facility. Footage and photos wil... Read more >

Animal protection organisation Farm Transparency Project (FTP) has published interactive virtual tours of two Tasmanian slaughterhouses recently exposed for cruelty The tours were filmed with 360-degree cameras inside Tasmanian Quality Meats at Cressy, and Scottsdale Pork, during FTP's covert investigation last year With the state election just days away, FTP has published the tours - which incorporate footage from hidden cameras - to draw attention to months of inaction by the Rockliff government    Farm Transparency Project (FTP) has published on its website two interactive virtual slaughterhouse tours, filmed last year with 360° cameras inside the Tasmanian Quality Meats and Scottsdale Pork facilities. The slaughterhouses, along with three others, were exposed f... Read more >

Footage captured last month by Farm Transparency Project shows a worker at a Victorian piggery raping a female pig (sow) who is confined in a farrowing crate. The footage, aired exclusively on ABC's 7.30 program, was captured accidentally by the group, who set out to expose routine animal cruelty ahead of the public hearings for the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into pig welfare, which begin tomorrow (Tue 12 March) in Melbourne. Investigators who captured the footage have said that they were taken completely by surprise by the sickening act, which they reported to authorities as soon as they could. The group have also released footage from the same facility showing newborn piglets being bashed to death and having their tails cut off without pain relief. Left: A worker rapes a ca... Read more >

Farm Transparency Project has released new footage of the slaughter of cows at Gathercole’s slaughterhouse in Wangaratta. The footage shows cows seemingly still conscious after multiple shots to the head, thrashing and kicking while workers pull them by their tails and poke them with sharp objects.  Gathercole’s Wangaratta slaughterhouse was investigated by the same group in 2014, with footage showing the incorrect and painful stunning of pigs and lambs. Photos and footage: https://www.farmtransparency.org/facilities/59c0f-gathercoles-wangaratta-abattoir  New hidden camera footage captured in January of this year shows cows shot in the head multiple times with a handheld bolt-gun, and continuing to thrash, kick and blink as they slowly bleed out. The footage... Read more >

Farm Transparency Project has released a new campaign calling for a ban of Dairy Australia’s Discover Dairy program, which provides lesson plans and activities to schools. The campaign, titled End Dairy Slaughter, features footage of the slaughter of week-old bobby calves and 4-6 year old dairy cows being violently slaughtered, which has been captured in Australian slaughterhouses in the past year.  Farm Transparency Project is calling out Dairy Australia for manipulative and deceptive targeting of children through their program which the group claims is biased and inaccurate.  A mother cow chases after a trailer taking away her newborn calf.   Photos and footage Animal rights campaigners from Farm Transparency Project have launched a new campaign to ban th... Read more >

• New footage from Gretna Quality Meats has revealed that animal cruelty is still rife, seven years after the facility was originally exposed by Animal Liberation in 2016.
• Footage, released by Farm Transparency Project and captured in September 2023, shows pigs, cows and sheep still blinking, thrashing and trying to stand for minutes after their throats had been slit, as well as cows who are shot in the head multiple times before they collapse. 
• A 2016 exposé of the slaughterhouse led to calls for the facility to be shut down, including from the RSPCA. Investigators are now saying that nothing has changed.
• Gretna Meatworks is the fifth slaughterhouse exposed by Farm Transparency Project as part of a comprehensive investigation into the Tasmanian animal slaughter industry. 

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New covert camera footage captured at Wal's Bulk Meats in Stowport, shows workers jumping on cows, sheep killed without stunning, cows shot multiple times with a rifle while crying out in pain and workers being kicked and chased by animals.  The group behind the footage, Farm Transparency Project, say that they were tipped-off about animal cruelty at the facility by an anonymous whistleblower. The group describes the footage they have released today as "revealing not only systemic and severe animal suffering, but exposing unsafe working conditions and absolute incompetence by workers." Wal’s is the fourth Tasmanian slaughterhouse exposed by the group since December, as part of a comprehensive investigation into the treatment of animals at Australian slaughterhouses.  ... Read more >

Campaigners from Animal Liberation Tasmania and Farm Transparency Project are planning on disrupting animal transport trucks at Tasmanian Quality Meats slaughterhouse, in a protest against “systemic animal cruelty in Tasmanian slaughterhouses.”

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New footage from Scottsdale Pork slaughterhouse in Tasmania shows pigs being tipped into scalding water while apparently conscious, and showing signs of consciousness, including blinking, after their throats have been slit.  Farm Transparency Project, who captured and released the footage, are claiming that the abattoir was built as a result of government corruption and "shady backroom deals," and are demanding its closure in the wake of the footage. Scottsdale Pork is owned by members of the Plymouth Brethren (known as the Exclusive Brethren) religious group, and was built in 2020-2021 after receiving 2 million dollars of government funding.    View footage and screenshots New footage has been released showing the slaughter of pigs at Scottsdale Pork slaughterhou... Read more >

Farm Transparency Project has released an interactive virtual-reality tour of a major Victorian piggery, using 360° footage they captured while trespassing in the facility in late 2023.  The group states that the tour is their latest way to increase public awareness of modern pig farming practices, and to encourage members of the public to make a submission to the ongoing Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Pig Welfare.  The footage shows mother pigs (sows) and piglets in breeding and 'weaner' sheds, and contains embedded videos featuring a guided tour of the facility by Executive Director of Farm Transparency Project, Chris Delforce, who points out issues common to commercial pig farms such as dead and dying piglets, tail docking without pain relief, extreme confinem... Read more >

Meet Stephanie Tretheway, the 2024 Tasmanian of the Year. Last night we exposed The Local Meat Co, a Tasmanian slaughterhouse where cows and sheep are brutally killed. This slaughterhouse was bought in 2022 by Stephanie and her husband Sam through their business Tas Ag Co (@tas_ag_co). Up until last night, their ownership of the slaughterhouse was proudly listed on their website and social media accounts, and confirmed in ASIC records, domain registrations, and media interviews.  Following the release of the footage, we received an email from Stephanie, threatening legal action if we didn’t remove all mentions of her ownership of the slaughterhouse. She has since frantically attempted to hide the evidence. Steph and Sam’s names have been removed from the @tas_ag_co accou... Read more >

Animal advocacy group Farm Transparency Project has released new footage from the Local Meat Co, showing cows and sheep being beaten and ineffectively stunned before slaughter. Some footage of the Local Meat Co was exposed in December, alongside four other Tasmanian slaughterhouses, but the full footage has only now been released to the public. The slaughterhouse is owned by 2024 Tasmanian of the Year, Steph Trethewey, who bought the business with her husband in 2022.

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Tasmanian Quality Meats has been given the all-clear from the federal government to return to business as usual, despite evidence of systemic animal abuse exposed by us earlier this month. The slaughterhouse was originally threatened with losing its export license after our footage showed dozens of calves being violently killed while fully conscious, as well as workers kicking, hitting and throwing calves and sheep. But, after pressure from the slaughterhouse and the state government, the federal government has backed down, opting to allow the slaughterhouse to keep its licence to export sheep, and requiring that they replace their restrainer before killing any more bobby calves for export. While TQM's owner has tried to frame this as a voluntary pause in calf slaughter while they addres... Read more >

All talk, little action The Tasmanian government has just released their response to our shocking exposé of Tasmanian slaughterhouses, and its far from the decisive action they pledged to take just four days ago. Rather than responding to evidence of systemic animal abuse immediately, the government has announced that the most they can manage is to re-investigate the facilities and form a task force to consider developing new animal welfare guidelines. Given that all five slaughterhouses we investigated were already in breach of existing state and national welfare legislation, we fail to see what developing new ones will manage, except for giving the appearance of doing something, while in reality preserving business as usual. It took four days for Tasmanian Minister for Primary In... Read more >