Friday, December 2, 2011
A Star News Group publication
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Indy gives kids a sporting chance with shortened waterfront triathlon
Good sports: The Independent’s Tony Galpin and Dean Trevorrow, of festival organiser USM Events, launch the Superkidz Triathlon with the help of Will, 10, Holly, 10, and Angus, 8. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 74243
THE INDEPENDENT will give children the chance to test their potential as tri-athletes during February’s Geelong Multi Sport Festival. The newspaper has signed on as naming rights sponsor for the festival’s Geelong Independent Superkidz Triathlon, featuring distances tailored to children aged seven to 13. All entrants will be winners, with entry including an event singlet, a finisher’s medallion, a bag of goodies and chances to win random draw prizes. Independent managing editor Tony Galpin said the Superkidz Triathlon would be lots of fun. “It’s all about riding, swimming and running over lengths ideal for kids,” he said. “As well as a fun day out on Geelong’s waterfront, the Superkidz Triathlon will be a great opportunity for children to find out whether they’d like to go further in this wonderful sport. “The Independent’s rapt to be involved in a community event helping kids get involved in sport.” Geelong Multi Sport Festival will also feature events with shorter-than-usual distances for older participants. A fun run, a bay swim and short-form triathlons for individuals, teams and relay groups will give further opportunities for participants to test themselves and their potential in the sport. A range of entertainment and activities will also feature during the festival, from February 10 to 12. More information and entry forms are available at geelongmultisport.com.au.
Our meat ‘now halal’ FORD OWNERS
they avoid losing customers among the Muslim community but they don’t advertise it.” Federal MP for the Western Australian seat of Cowan, Luke Simpkins, told parliament last week that Australian consumers were being “deceived” because halal meat was not labelled. Mr Simpkins called for clear labelling of halal meat. Mr Conway said the impact of some stunning methods on ani-
mals was difficult to judge. Almost all slaughtermen were now Muslims registered with Islamic Council of Victoria so they could bless the knife and perform the ritual slaughter, he said. Liberal Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay said he was aware some abattoirs used pre-slaughter stunning and some stunned the animal immediately after cutting the throat. “My own view is that stunning
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should be done regardless of what kill it is,” Mr Ramsay said. “Whatever can be done to reduce pain of the animal should be done.” Mr Ramsay was worried labelling meat as halal might discriminate against processors “doing right thing”. “If the public believes that halal processed meat causes more pain to the animal they may not buy it even though the processor has fol-
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lowed all the correct processes.” RSPCA scientist Melina Tensen said stunning was law. But some Victorian abbatoirs had approvals to slaughter without “prior” stunning, she said. “Abattoirs have to go through regular audit processes including their slaughter methods.” Ms Tensen said the RSPCA believed that halal meat from unstunned animals should be labelled.
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only be used under halal slaughter if it did not cause animals to bleed. But many abattoirs had stopped stunning because it often drew first blood, rendering the animal non-halal, he said. “You would be hard pressed to find a place now that didn’t use halal slaughtering,” Mr Conway said. “The meat is distributed to all the major supermarket chains so
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BY JOHN VAN KLAVEREN MOST MEAT from Geelong’s only abattoir is now halal, according to a union representative. Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union assistant secretary Paul Conway said MC Herd had joined a majority of Australian slaughterhouses in adopting halal practices. But many were killing animals without stunning them first, he said. Mr Conway said stunning could