In a press release today from Murray Goulburn they have announced some sweeping changes including;

• Closure of Murray Goulburn's milk manufacturing facilities at Edith Creek, Rochester and Kiewa which is expected to impact approximately 360 employees.
• Ending its controversial milk price repayment program the Milk Supply Support Package (MSSP)

The full details of their media release are as follows...

Murray Goulburn asset and footprint review conclusions.

"...Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited (MG) has today announced the following decisions as a result of its asset and footprint review which has been undertaken in recent months, as an appropriate response to reduced
milk intake across the network. These decisions are a continuation of efforts to address MG’s cost base, improve efficiencies and ultimately increase earnings and farmgate milk pricing and include: 

• Closure of MG’s manufacturing facilities at Edith Creek, Rochester and Kiewa

• Forgiveness of the Milk Supply Support Package (MSSP)

• Total write-downs and associated deviation from the Profit Sharing Mechanism of up to $410 million, including non-recurring costs and a potential debt funded milk payment

• Dividend suspension and a review of dividend payout ratio

• FY17 forecast available Farmgate Milk Price of $4.95 per kilogram milk solids maintained

Closure of Edith Creek, Rochester and Kiewa

It is intended that the Edith Creek facility will be closed by Q2 FY18, the Rochester facility by Q3 FY18 and the MG facility at Kiewa by Q1 FY19. The Rochester and Kiewa closures will occur in a staged manner and are expected to commence in August 2017. These initiatives will ensure that MG has an improved processing footprint going forward.

The closures are expected to impact approximately 360 employees. Once completed the closures are expected to deliver an annualised net financial benefit of $40 million to $50 million. MG anticipates a net financial benefit in
FY18 from the closures of approximately $15 million. 

MG expects to spend $60 million of capital expenditure to enable the closures, which will be largely funded by maintenance capital expenditure no longer required at the sites. MG will write-down assets of $99 million (post
tax $69 million) and expects to incur cash restructuring costs of approximately $37 million (post tax $26 million).

These cash costs predominantly comprise redundancy and entitlement payments to impacted employees.

Forgiveness of the Milk Supply Support Package

In order to mitigate the risk of further milk loss, MG announced today that it will forgive the MSSP.

All future repayments of the MSSP which were to recommence from July 2017 will cease. MG will also make a payment to continuing and retired suppliers who made MSSP contributions between July and September 2016, and to any suppliers who recommence supplying milk to MG by 31 July 2017.

As a result, MG will record a write-down of this asset of $148 million (post-tax $104 million). MG is taking this step in recognition of the unintended impact of the MSSP.

Dairy Beverages and Nutritionals capital projects and other write-downs

Following the completion of this asset and cost review, MG does not currently intend to proceed with the proposed major capital investments in Dairy Beverages and Nutritionals. MG will also write-down the carrying
value of these projects and various other assets totalling $62 million (post tax $53 million)...."

You can view their full media release here