Baiada opens Tamworth poultry processing plant

Baiada Poultry has opened its new processing plant in Tamworth, New South Wales. The facility brings automated processing and packaging, digital controls, traceability and logistics into a single operation supporting the company’s Steggles and Lilydale Free Range brands.

Launch capacity and future expansion

Baiada puts launch capacity at approximately 1.5 million chickens per week. The approved capacity rises to as many as three million birds weekly if a second processing line enters operation. Each of the two lines is designed for up to 15,000 birds per hour.

Tamworth plant design, construction and opening report

Processing and packing systems

Marel’s equipment programme for the Oakburn site, detailed on Jun 3, 2025, covered inline processing through to finished-product handling. Its planned end-of-line equipment included:

multihead weighers and Smartline Graders;
weigh-price labellers;
box labellers.

The chilling configuration combines immersion chilling, shock chilling and maturation air chilling. Marel described automated transfer units linking the evisceration and selection lines, with the three-stage configuration designed to keep products within an inline process.

Marel also identified PDS and IMPAQT software for monitoring processing-line performance and maintaining inline traceability. The supplier specified FHF FlexControl for breast-meat deboning, following ACM-NT cut-up lines, as part of the selected equipment package.

Design approval and construction

The NSW planning authority approved modification SSD-9394-Mod-1 on May 23, 2024. That decision covered alterations and additions to the Oakburn poultry processing facility, including changes to the processing and administration buildings and amendments to the wastewater treatment process.

JBT Marel

Construction was already under way at Oakburn by Sep 20, 2024. Concrete supplier Boral’s Tamworth team was working with Baiada on delivery of the manufacturing plant. Boral planned to supply more than 18,000 cubic metres of concrete for the project.

Tamworth operations and employee facilities

Managing Director Simon Camilleri described the plant as a long-term investment in Tamworth, where Baiada has operated since 1966. The company selected the location for its established poultry industry, infrastructure and skilled workforce.

Employee facilities include a cafeteria, gymnasium, landscaped courtyard, breakout areas and administration spaces. The opening continues Baiada’s investment in domestic poultry production and its six-decade connection with the Tamworth community.