Pork Farm Development

Project outline

Within Australia, Rivalea (part of the JBS Australia group) contributes an impressive 15% of the nation’s domestic pork production. As consumer demands grow and environmental priorities and animal welfare standards shift, investing in modern, sustainable pork production is critical. By embracing innovations in animal welfare, biosecurity, and responsible resource management, we can continue to enjoy a reliable, high-quality pork supply while ensuring our rural communities thrive and our environment remains protected.

Rivalea Australia will invest into several large projects over the coming years to modernise its farming operations – including at Corowa, NSW. Rivalea’s investment in upgrading its facilities reflects the company’s commitment to maintaining industry-leading standards in sustainability, biosecurity, people safety and animal welfare. These projects aim to ensure Rivalea will continue to meet existing industry standards by building state-of-the-art growing and breeding facilities aligned with today’s best practices in sustainability, biosecurity, people safety and animal welfare. Modernising the infrastructure at Corowa Grower Farm will support Rivalea’s ongoing contribution to the local economy. Rivalea is committed to ongoing consultation with the local community throughout development process.

Project core objectives

Improve biosecurity of Rivalea’s operations by separating growing and breeding farms onto individual sites

Enhance animal welfare and environmental performance through the use of state of the art farming facilities

Allow for the staged replacement of ageing facilities, sheds and infrastructure on the Corowa site to ensure business continuity and maintenance of current production levels

Continue to improve environmental performance and expand on-site circular economy (waste, farming and energy management systems)

Further align with industry-leading standards to improve staff WHS outcomes

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Benefits of the project

Environmental
stewardship

Improved nutrient recycling systems upgraded wastewater treatment, and best-practice air quality (odour) and water management to minimise impacts on the environment

Economic
contributions

Supporting local farmers through grain partnerships and effluent recycling, creating construction jobs, and maintaining Rivalea’s commitment to local procurement

Biosecurity
enhancements

Separating breeding and growing operations to increase biosecurity profile and safeguard the sustainability of Australia’s pork supply

Staff
experience

Newly constructed facilities with enhance -safety outcomes and improve staff experience by improving ventilation, safe handling systems with a focus on providing clean hygienic working environment

Supporting the local community

Economic stimulus & job creation

  • Temporary construction roles during the upgrade
  • Long-term operational positions in the new facilities
  • Continued procurement from local grain suppliers, maintenance contractors and service providers

Health & safety enhancements

  • The facilities have been designed with both pigs and people front of mind, ensuring our team members can safely care for every pig everyday
  • Environmental controls ensure people and animals are not exposed to weather fluctuations making them comfortable all year round

Regional partnerships & support

  • Provide a source of renewable nutrients to local farmers
  • Open forums and ongoing consultation throughout the EIA process
  • Collaboration with local businesses and community groups to shape project outcomes

Environmental Impact Assessment

The JBS Rivalea Pork Development project will go through a rigorous Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to identify any impacts and plan mitigations for the project before construction starts.

An EIA involving a detailed assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed project will be undertaken and will include a plan to mitigate any impacts of the proposed project and will be informed by consultation with the community.

The EIA for Corowa Grower Farm will begin to be developed in 2025. We have engaged a range of technical specialists throughout this process to assess any potential impacts on local traffic, odour, noise, ecology and more. Once complete, the EIA will be publicly available on NSW Major Projects Portal.

JBS Rivalea Corowa Grower Farm FAQs

How will the development improve sustainability?

Sustainability is a core part of this project. Modern infrastructure will reduce our environmental footprint, improve resource efficiency, and support local farmers through nutrient recycling and partnerships.

Rivalea’s Corowa Grower Farm upgrade is designed to build on our existing best-practice nutrient recycling and effluent management systems and deliver:

  • Enhanced circular economy – Expanded on-site recycling of waste into fertiliser for local grain producers, closing resource loops
  • Industry-leading facilities – Modern sheds and infrastructure built to current sustainability benchmarks for air, water and energy management, improving teams and animal welfare
  • Ongoing environmental stewardship – A staged replacement of ageing assets to maintain performance and enable continuous improvements in soil and water protection

How is Rivalea considering animal welfare in the design of its new facilities?

All new growing facilities will:

  • Meet Australian welfare standards – From stocking densities to handling systems, every element exceeds minimum requirements
  • Provide environmental controls – Automated ventilation, heating and cooling to ensure pigs remain comfortable year-round
  • Reduce disease risk – Separation of breeding and growing sites will support our strong veterinary protocols to keep our pigs healthy

How will the development enhance biosecurity and food security?

By leveraging Rivalea’s fully integrated, end-to-end production model, the project will:

  • Separate breeding and growing operations – Limits cross-site disease transmission and strengthens farm-level biosecurity
  • Maintain supply chain control – Rivalea owns and manages all its animals ensuring quality, traceability and rapid response to any issue
  • Reinforce national pork supply – As the source of 15 % of Australia’s domestic pork, securing Rivalea’s operations underpins food security and market resilience

What is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

An EIA is a specialist-driven assessment that evaluates all potential environmental effects of a major development. For Corowa Grower Farm, it will cover:

  • Air (odour, dust), water and soil impacts
  • Noise, traffic and ecology
  • Social and economic factors

The EIA will include detailed mitigation measures, be informed by community feedback, and must gain approval under the NSW State Significant Development process before construction can commence. The draft EIA will be prepared in 2025 and published on the NSW Major Projects Portal once finalised.

Should I be worried about odour issues?

No. The upcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will closely assess any potential odour impacts on neighbouring properties and the community. The EIA will:

  • Assess odour, dust and air quality – Specialist modelling and monitoring will identify any potential off-site impacts
  • Specify mitigation measures – Best-practice filtration, biofilters and odour-control technologies will be applied to minimise detectable odours beyond the property boundary

What’s in this project for the community?

Rivalea’s Corowa Grower Farm upgrade will deliver multiple tangible benefits for the surrounding region:

Economic stimulus & job creation

  • Temporary construction roles during the upgrade
  • Long-term operational positions in the new facilities
  • Continued procurement from local grain suppliers, maintenance contractors and service providers

Health & safety enhancements

  • The facilities have been designed with both pigs and people front of mind, ensuring our team members can safely care for every pig everyday
  • Environmental controls ensure people and animals are not exposed to weather fluctuations making them comfortable all year round

Regional partnerships & support

  • Provide a source of renewable nutrients to local farmers
  • Open forums and ongoing consultation throughout the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process
  • Collaboration with local businesses and community groups to shape project outcomes

What does this project mean for local farmers that house pigs for Rivalea (Contract Growers)?

  • Our contract growers are very valued and important partners for Rivalea
  • The contract Grower partnerships are intended to continue in the future
  • In fact, we would love additional partnerships, and have just appointed a Contracting Development Manager to support this vision

If the project is approved, will there be more traffic on the local roads?

The potential for increased vehicle movements—both during construction and operation—will be rigorously assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Key points include:

Specialist traffic assessment

  • Traffic engineers will undertake baseline surveys of existing traffic volumes and patterns
  • Detailed modelling will estimate additional heavy-vehicle and staff-vehicle movements for both the construction and operational phases

Mitigation through a Traffic Management Plan

  • The EIA will propose a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) that defines designated haul routes, times of delivery and collection, and safety measures to minimise disruption
  • Where required, physical upgrades (e.g. intersection improvements, signage, road surface works) will be identified to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow

Please note that the complete traffic impact assessment and proposed mitigation strategies will be published on the NSW Major Projects Portal once the EIA is finalised.

How much will the project cost to deliver?

The project will cost over $400 million dollars to deliver, pending the outcomes of ongoing development approval processes and project design decisions.

How can I get in contact with the project?

You can reach out to the project to find out more through: majorprojects@jbspork.com.au

Community engagement

Rivalea is committed to ongoing consultation with the local community throughout the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development process.

Rivalea will engage the community through open communication channels to ensure transparency and address community priorities during the development process. Feedback from the community will shape key elements of the project and ensure its alignment with community and other JBS-Rivalea stakeholder needs and values.

Contact us

For all project-related enquiries, please email majorprojects@jbspork.com.au

CONTACT

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