The small Northern Victorian town of Strathmerton, with a population of just 1072, expects to face economic challenges after the planned closure of the local Bega cheese factory next month.
The factory will close at the end of June.
Contractor and long-time resident Ian Hargreaves says the closure will have an impact not just on Strathmerton, but other nearby towns.
Mr Hargreaves says he hopes the factory will be repurposed, rather than “just sit there, doing nothing”.
“Probably no one in Melbourne has ever seen it. It’s a massive factory, and it was all built from scratch, brand new,” he said.
The factory employs its workers from surrounding areas as well as the population of Strathmerton, and there are concerns the loss of traffic through the town in relation to Bega’s operations will hurt local businesses.
Primary school teacher Kimberley Van De Berg said she expected school and sporting club numbers to fall with fewer families moving to the town to work.
“We are quite a small school as it is, about 58 students currently.”
Ms Van De Berg says she understood that the company was supporting workers and families affected by the closure in getting other jobs.
“Our local football-netball club relies heavily on the sponsorship from Bega, and obviously with that closing down, there will be less opportunity for sponsorsip and having money running through the club.”
When the closure was announced in May of last year, a Bega company statement said about 300 workers would be impacted.
The statement said the company would support the workers through the closure of the plant, with Bega Group CEO Pete Findlay saying the company was “aware of the impact of this decision”.
“We are doing our best to manage this transition with care and respect for our Strathmerton employees and the local community.”
The factory was previously owned by Kraft and began operations in 1950 before being sold to Bega Group in 2008.
Despite the long history of the factory in Strathmerton, Bega Group’s plans for the site have not been announced.
