Pay your way on saleyards

Push for other councils to share burden

NEIGHBOURING councils would be asked to pay a slice of the operational costs of the Geelong Saleyards, under a proposal to help farmers retain their local lifeline.

A saleyards users group has discussed the merits of introducing a user-pays style system, which would see multiple councils contribute to the costs of the regionally significant complex.

The City of Greater Geelong’s administrators have committed to a further two months of talks with users and other councils to discuss options for the saleyards.

It allows newly elected councillors time to consider the future of the North Geelong site, following the elections on October 22.

But the lack of any immediate action has angered farmers, who were hoping that maintenance would be quickly carried out to allow sheep sales to resume. Instead, the busy spring lamb selling season will be carried out in Colac or Ballarat, with no end date on the temporary shutdown of the saleyards.

Victorian Farmers Federation Bellarine branch president Graeme Brown labelled the council’s decision to forgo targeted repair works as “very disappointing”.

“The season is now — the next couple of months is the most important time,” he said.

The council has identified $916,000 worth of projects it says are needed at the Weddell Rd complex, which would take up to six months to complete.

There are more than 1000 farm-rated properties across the city, which pay a total of about $2.5 million in rates annually.

Saleyards users group member Ian Kelly said that revenue wasn’t returned to the rural sector and should be factored into considerations about the financial viability of the saleyards.

He said there was merit in introducing a Geelong library corporation-style arrangement, under which neighbouring councils help pay.

Only a third of the sales emanate from the Geelong and Bellarine regions, with more than a quarter from the Surf Coast Shire and 18 per cent from Golden Plains.

Operational losses have gradually increased, with eight years of deficits climbing to more than $245,000 in 2015-16.

While stock numbers have fallen over the past decade, almost 54,000 sheep and cattle were sold through the Geelong Saleyards last year.

“They have a facility that already has $10 million in economic activity, that has current suppliers and logistics in place, and they want to shut it down?” Mr Kelly said.

“It beggars belief. The saleyards is an absolute necessity for the livelihood of farmers.”

LEX AND THE LAND HE LOVES: PAGE 38