Riverina Fresh wrongly linked to company collapse

ONE of the Riverina’s best-known businesses has been wrongly linked to a company collapse in a breaking news article published by the region’s leading newspaper, with the publication later admitting it confused two unrelated companies.

The Daily Advertiser published a breaking news report to its website at 10.57am on Tuesday, September 15, claiming century-old Wagga dairy manufacturer Riverina Fresh was “set to close” after being forced into liquidation over unpaid debt.

This is not true.

A screenshot of the original incorrect and potentially damaging article published by The Daily Advertiser reporter, Taylor Dodge. | Image: Supplied

The company actually named in the liquidation proceedings is Riverina Fresh Produce Pty Ltd, a separate business based at Willbriggie, south of Griffith, not Riverina Fresh Pty Ltd, the company behind the iconic Wagga dairy operation.

A basic search of Australian business records reveals the distinction.

The two businesses have different Australian Company Numbers, Australian Business Numbers, registration dates and registered locations.

Despite that, the original report specifically identified Wagga’s Riverina Fresh, using an image of its logo and business while linking the liquidation to its historic Hammond Avenue factory, workforce, local dairy farmers and recent acquisition of Babushka’s Kefir.

The extraordinary claim was also distributed directly to the publication’s digital subscribers in a breaking news email carrying the subject line: “Breaking: Riverina Fresh in liquidation“.

A screenshot of the email alert received by The Daily Advertiser‘s digital subscribers. | Image: Supplied

The story, written by Australian Community Media journalist Taylor Dodge, remained visible on The Daily Advertiser‘s website for about half-an-hour on Tuesday morning before it was pulled.

A Facebook post promoting the report, which had attracted reactions, comments and shares, was also removed.

The story remained visible at the top of The Daily Advertiser‘s homepage for more than half-an-hour before it was pulled. | Image: Supplied

A screenshot of The Daily Advertiser‘s Facebook post which was also later removed. | Image: Supplied

At 1pm, two hours after the original article was published, The Daily Advertiser published a new article correctly identifying Riverina Fresh Produce as the company in liquidation and issued a correction acknowledging the error.

“Correction: A previous version identified Wagga’s Riverina Fresh as the business involved,” the correction read.

“Riverina Fresh is a milk manufacturing company and has no connection with Riverina Fresh Produce.”

A screenshot of the first email alert sent by The Daily Advertiser, followed by a second article containing the correction two hours later. | Image: Supplied

A Tale of Two Companies

Despite their remarkably similar names, Australian corporate records reveal a clear distinction between the two businesses.

Riverina Fresh Produce Pty Ltd, ACN 653 584 886 and ABN 14 653 584 886, was incorporated in September 2021 and is based at Willbriggie, south of Griffith.

It is that company which was the subject of winding-up proceedings in July.

An application to wind up Riverina Fresh Produce Pty Ltd was initiated by the Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer on July 8.

The company was subsequently ordered into liquidation by the Supreme Court on July 23, with Melissa Janet Mary Humann and Andrew John Scott appointed liquidators.

Its Australian Business Register history shows the company was registered for GST from September 10, 2021 until March 31 this year, before its GST registration was cancelled from April 1.

The company behind Wagga’s Riverina Fresh dairy operation, however, has an entirely different corporate identity.

Riverina Fresh Pty Ltd, ACN 614 298 314 and ABN 45 614 298 314, is registered in Wagga Wagga and remains listed as active on the Australian Business Register.

Riverina Fresh’s long-standing Hammond Avenue factory in Wagga | Image: Google Streetview

104 Years of History

The mix-up could carry significant implications given Riverina Fresh’s place in the Riverina economy.

The Wagga dairy operation traces its history to 1922, when the Murrumbidgee Co-Operative Dairy Co Ltd was established.

The business has remained at its Hammond Avenue site through decades of change in Australia’s dairy industry and was eventually acquired by global dairy giant Fonterra.

In 2016, Blue River Group acquired the Wagga manufacturing operation and Riverina Fresh brand from Fonterra, returning it to Australian ownership.

Riverina Fresh has since supplied milk, cream and other dairy products throughout NSW, Victoria and the ACT, while developing a major presence in the café and foodservice industries.

The company has previously reported sourcing milk from around 20 dairy farms across the Riverina.

It expanded again this year with the acquisition of Sydney-based cultured dairy producer Babushka’s Kefir.

The Junee Bulletin has contacted Riverina Fresh for comment.