Stephanie Tretheway, Australian of the Year nominee, condemns 'crazy vegans' as her farm is targeted by animal rights activists | Daily Mail Online

A nominee for Australian of the Year is engaged in a bitter feud with animal activists after film emerged of an abattoir she previously part-owned roughly treating animals.

Stephanie Trethewey, who as Tasmanian Australian of the Year for 2024 is automatically in the running for the national award, has struck back at what she labelled 'hate  and defamation by these ... people'.

Ms Tretheway has been targeted by animal rights activists after hidden cameras inside The Local Meat Co, a north-west Tasmanian abattoir then owned by Ms Trethewey and husband Sam Trethewey, captured scenes of brutal animal treatment. 

Ms Trethewey, a former television journalist who created the online non-profit Motherland which aims to 'celebrate and connect rural mums', says since the footage was made public earlier this month she has become 'the target of some truly disgusting animal activists'.

'I've received death threats and have been bullied via messages, emails and phone calls all day,' she wrote on Instagram, adding that her name had been 'dragged through the mud'.

'I have closed off comments on our farming business too and am genuinely concerned for my family's safety.' 

Ms Trethewey also said she was exploring 'exciting ideas' on how to 'protect other rural families from ... hate, and defamation by these ... people'.

In a statement sent to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, Ms Trethewey said she had 'strained under the social media voiced against my part-ownership (of the abattoir).

'This has been personally taxing for someone with a history of mental health struggles, all at a time I am trying to be a proud representative of Tasmania,' she said.

The statement also says that since December Ms Trethewey is no longer a part owner of The Local Meat Co.

She 'never had any management or operational involvement of the facility whatsoever.

'When the issues around animal welfare were raised – and addressed immediately by The Local Meat Co – we decided to remove myself from the ownership register to reflect the reality that I have no operational involvement with the facility,' she said. 

'All I can say is that I am in touch with lawyers, have reported certain individuals to police, spoken to journalists and have faith that the good ones do their research before rolling with what a group of crazy vegans say.' 

Footage taken in the abattoir, which boasts it produces 'sustainable' high-grade meat, by the Farm Transparency Project in September showed cattle being shot multiple times in the head but remaining conscious.

Distressing footage shows cows' necks and heads being jammed by hydraulic machinery and they are herded with a hammer and metal pipe.

Sheep are roughly tossed, punched with electric prodders are used to move them along the races into the slaughter room. 

Farm Transparency Project director Harley McDonald-Eckersall claimed the footage was damning. It is not suggested that Mr McDonald-Eckersall has engaged in any improper conduct towards Ms Trethewey

'We installed cameras at the Local Meat Co for just two days,' he said. 

'In that small amount of time, we documented some of the most brutal treatment of cows and sheep we have witnessed in recent years. 

'By allowing this slaughterhouse to continue operating in the face of this footage, the state government is sending a message that this kind of treatment of animals is ok and will lead to no ramifications.'

The Local Meat Co in December described the 'illegally obtained footage' as unacceptable and it condemned 'all mistreatment of animals'.

The statement finishes saying media reports had contained 'historical inaccuracies ... Including falsely naming someone as an owner of The Local Meat Co who is not an owner or shareholder, as evidenced via an ASIC search.

On Instagram Ms Trethewey said her husband took immediate action when the footage came to light in December. 

'Sam (who oversees the business but does not work in it day to day or has anything to do with processing) fired two staff last month when he was sent the footage, made upgrades to the facility immediately and has worked closely with government,' she wrote on Instagram.

The abattoir, along with several others, is being investigated by Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Despite the controversy Ms Trethewey said she will 'continue to advocate for rural mothers across Australia through my charity Motherland which I work full-time on'.

'There is an absolute need to continue our incredible work supporting isolated women on the land and improving mental health outcomes for rural families,' she said in her statement to Daily Mail Australia.