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Council

2 August, 2024

Saleyards future still uncertain

CORANGAMITE Shire Council has been forced to go back to the drawing board after the single expression of interest (EOI) received for the Camperdown Saleyards was deemed financially unfeasible.


Future unknown: The Camperdown Saleyards site’s future will remain under investigation following last week’s council meeting.
Future unknown: The Camperdown Saleyards site’s future will remain under investigation following last week’s council meeting.

Following the final sale at the saleyards on Tuesday, June 25 and CRLX advising of their intention to exit their lease a fortnight beforehand, council put the usage of the land up for EOI.

The EOI period closed at the start of July, with only one submission received for the potential use of the site for a monthly farmers market to run alongside meat processing opportunities.

The commercial truck wash on-site, installed by CRLX, was not mentioned in the EOI.

Councillor Ruth Gstrein said the submission made was something she couldn’t see being feasible in the medium or long-term.

“I think that we really need to bite the bullet and have this site, after September 25 when CRLX have to have it vacated and we begin the Terang and Camperdown Structure Plan work, become part of that work to looking into the future uses and potential uses of that site,” she said.

“With regards to the truck wash, I’d certainly like to see some investigation done.

“It is, I think, three months we’ve got between the yards being closed and retaining the yards.

“We’re looking at a $5000 trade waste agreement with Wannon Water for every month, which is substantial - $60,000 a year – and we have no data on the existing truck wash about the amount of income it does make.

“I imagine it would have to be fairly well-subsidised by the council – in saying that, we’ve said several times, if not more, about how important agriculture is to our shire.”

Cr Nick Cole said it was a “sad day” for Camperdown for the saleyards to be closed.

“I can remember sitting in the old saleyards in the rotunda with my father and grandfather, and I also remember sheep yards in Darlington, Derrinallum and Lismore,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the way things have gone, all these yards are now gone and Camperdown’s second incarnation down to where they are now is now going.

“The local community saleyards are basically a thing of the past, and it’s going to big corporates which is a bit worrying for me in a lot of ways.

“It’s been regionalized and corporatized.”

Cr Jamie Vogels shared Cr Cole’s sentiments, but said the it was “on the cards” for the saleyards to be closed down.

“I think we’ll get an officer’s recommendation that we put this up for the Terang and Camperdown Structure Plan for seeing what we can do with the site,” he said.

“The one expression of interest – it was a good idea.

“It would be really, really good to have it happen, but it’s not financially feasible – it’s just not a viable option.

“The truck wash is only there because the saleyards were there – if there was to be a truck wash continue somewhere, I’m pretty sure that’s not the space for it.”

Cr Cole said the truck wash was a major concern for the community, particularly for stock not moved through traditional sites.

“Not all the stock go via the sale units,” he said.

“They go between farms and various other places and they need to wash out, and sometimes the round trip to wash the trucks can be a considerable amount – over 100 kilometres, which is not very economical if there’s not a decent truck wash within an area.

“Trucks are trooping around the countryside dirty, and that’s uneconomical and it’s also a biosecurity hazard - one of the most important things that has been expressed to me by a lot of different people.”

Cr Jo Beard thanked the Corangamite Shire Council executive leadership team for going through the EOI process, which she said was guided by stock agents following a crisis meeting.

“I think we need to put into context that we did try,” she said.

“We were just as disappointed as everybody else when we got word that CRLX were vacating the lease.

“It wasn’t something that we’ve just sat around a table and decided ‘oh this is too hard’.

“We actually did what we thought was the right thing to do under the guidance of those that have been using it up until now and to the officers, thank you for being part of that process.”

Investigations ongoing: Councillor Geraldine Conheady said the future of the Saleyards could be an “important decision” for Camperdown.
Investigations ongoing: Councillor Geraldine Conheady said the future of the Saleyards could be an “important decision” for Camperdown.

Cr Beard said there were many unknowns when it came to the site.

“We just don’t know what’s going to be the best use for that site, but we also have to be mindful of how much it costs us as an organisation if we continue to just leave it the way it is too,” she said.

“Not only were we going to be carrying significant costs, but there was also risks and liabilities around that - that all unravels as you go through the finer detail.

“They’re all the sort of things that we had to unpack in understanding what it means to have it either the way it is, not being used, mothballed or potentially now what’re the options going forward.

“Until then, we have to continue on the path forward but, unfortunately, times just aren’t going to be what they used to be as we all used to know it.”

Cr Geraldine Conheady also commented on the motion, saying the exit of CRLX was a “big change” for the site.

“It certainly was worthwhile to investigate the EOI process, but that hasn’t revealed the substantive long-term option for the use there,” she said.

“There’s just no alternative but to further investigate future use for the site.

“It needs to be a really well-researched investigation because we need to make the right decision about future use for the saleyards site, and it could be a very important decision for Camperdown.”

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