A proposal to build a small stock abattoir 16 kilometres north of Bourke next year will provide more than 200 permanent jobs and bring flow-on benefits to the town, Bourke Shire Council mayor Andrew Lewis says.
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The $60 million abattoir will take about nine months to construct, and will process goat, lamb and sheep.
When fully operational Mr Lewis hoped up to 6000 head of stock would be processed per day.
"It's looking good," he said.
"Over 200 permanent jobs will be created including extra jobs in town."
Cr Lewis said Bourke was a booming abattoir town in the 1960s and 1970s, and there was no reason why it couldn't be again.
"Residents are certainly keen for an abattoir to be back," he said.
Cr Lewis hoped the abattoir would help fix some of the region's social issues, and put stability back into the town.
He said the proposed development would be a boost to all sectors of the community and would lead to a reversal of the significant population decline experienced in the early part of the last decade.
"It will be a game changer for Bourke," Cr Lewis said.
Abattoir proponent CAPRA Developments Pty Ltd spokesman James Price said the facility would be of state-of-the-art technology.
"Construction will begin the middle of next year," he said.
Mr Price said NSW goat farmers currently had to travel to Queensland, Victoria or South Australia to have their livestock processed.
"It will bring a more competitive market for goat farmers having another player in the sector," he said.
