Colac goes to market

New Sheep and lamb sales will be offered after Geelong Saleyards closure

COLAC will start offering fortnightly sheep and lamb sales in the wake of the closure of the Geelong Saleyards.

The venture will start as a trial on Monday, with authorities open to change depending on its popularity.

Three regional councils have backed the plan, including the City of Greater Geelong which last month closed its saleyards after 148 years of operation.

Following a 12-month closure of the North Geelong complex to cattle sales, Geelong’s administrators shut the site in favour of developing Colac as a regional livestock facility.

Colac’s yards are only 38 years old, and have been improved through upgrades such as the installation of a $1.5 million roof in 2014.

Local leaders are bullish about the potential of the yards to rapidly add to its $4.7 million annual sales base.

Colac Otway Shire Mayor Chris Potter said the saleyards team was committed to helping regional farmers make the transition from Geelong.

“We’re starting off by trialling a fortnightly sale on Mondays, which can be ramped up to weekly or down to monthly,” Cr Potter said.

“We will continue to seek feedback from buyers, sellers, agents and industry representatives about how it’s working.”

Geelong council’s city services acting director, Peter Godfrey, said the Colac complex would be a “modern and fully equipped on-stop shop for peri-urban farmers”.

“With significant growth in intensive animal industries concentrated in our region’s west, Colac offers a centrally located facility that can cater for this growth and the diverse needs of the G21 region’s agribusiness industry,” Mr Godfrey said.

Surf Coast Shire mayor Brian McKiterick also welcomed the new service at Colac, encouraging farmers to travel to the fortnightly sales.

“We’re starting off by trialling a fortnightly sale on Mondays, which can be ramped up to weekly or down to monthly according to demand.” COLAC OTWAY SHIRE MAYOR CHRIS POTTER