General News
22 February, 2026
Meatworks back in action
AFTER two decades of silence, the long idle Innisfail abattoir is set for a revival, with Atherton butcher and Altitude Beef owner Doug Cross breathing new life into the region after buying the dilapidated facility in June 2025
Mr Cross said acquiring the former abattoir was an opportunity to secure his future in Far North Queensland’s meat industry.
“You are always at the mercy of service kill providers, so bringing the processing in house gives me more control,” he said.
He said, “we are just a husband-and-wife show having a crack,” but the purchase marks a major expansion of their business.
Once processed and chilled for 48 hours in Innisfail, trucks transport the meat to Atherton, with plans for Innisfail to eventually become their distribution hub.
The site is currently undergoing a refit for a smaller scale operation, including the installation of false walls in refrigerated areas to reduce power costs. In the coming months, Mr Cross will investigate sustainable upgrades such as a methane capturing biodigester and a major solar upgrade.
Born in New South Wales, but raised on the Atherton Tablelands, Mr Cross left school early to begin his butcher’s apprenticeship, after first working as a clean up boy in local shops. He said he has always had a passion for the beef industry.
Mr Cross believes reopening the abattoir will deliver financial benefits to local graziers by giving them another option to source, grow and produce a niche product for his Altitude brand, while also reducing freight costs and boosting revenue. The project will boost local employment with jobs for boilermakers, fitters, machinery operators, labourers and truck drivers.
Mr Cross said the local community and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council had been extremely supportive, particularly in helping him navigate the challenging requirements of waste and water management.
His business now employs close to 50 staff. While he focuses on the Innisfail redevelopment, his dedicated team will continue running Cross Custom Meats in Atherton, which has operated for eight years. Over the past year, he has also established a boning and packing warehouse in Atherton.
His premium pasture fed, cross-bred low hump cattle supply retailers and restaurants across Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales.
“We haven’t got a branded meat program recognised throughout Australia from this area, so this is my dream for the future,” he said.
The Innisfail abattoir last operated in 2006 under Teys Brothers before it suffered extensive damage during Cyclone Larry and subsequently closed. At its peak, the 40-year-old facility processed up to 750 cattle a day, but odour issues were a long standing concern for nearby residents. “We do not have a rendering plant and will only be producing 100 head of cattle per week, so there should be no issues with smells,” Mr Cross said. “If residents who live near the site have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly,” he said.
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