The booming goat industry of western New South Wales has received a huge shot in the arm today, with the announcement of a small stock abattoir for Bourke.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 56 seconds 3 m 56 s Small animal abattoir for Bourke will process goat meat ( Sally Bryant ) Download 7.2 MB

With goat prices and numbers at an all-time high, Bourke Shire Council has put its support behind the development, which it says will bring 200 permanent jobs to the town.

Proponent CAPRA Developments Pty Ltd spokesman James Price said the development was in the early stages of planning, but it was possible construction could begin late next year.

"We are looking to move as quickly as possible but this is a large investment," he said.

"We want to make sure the planning process is appropriately managed."

Mr Price said the increased on-farm investment in goat management in western NSW was a strong indicator the goat meat industry had a strong future.

"Goat meat is one of the most widely-eaten meats in the world, and Australia is one of the largest exporters of goat meat worldwide," Mr Price said.

"But it's still a relatively small industry in Australia."