Cattle pens could take up to 15,000 Holding yard has big plans
A CATTLE holding yard, with a capacity for 15,000 head, could be coming to Oak Valley.
Ronmar Rural has lodged a development application with Townsville City Council to build the facility along the Flinders Highway.
The ideal purpose for the facility would be for cattle to be held there for up to four days before being live exported through the Port of Townsville.
“The proposed cattle holding yards are anticipated to have an annual throughput of about 100,000 head of cattle,” the development application reads.
“The total number of cattle exported from the port in the past 12 months exceeded 200,000 head, with forthcoming upgrades expected to give the port capacity to export up to a million head per year.
“As such, the proposed development is considered much needed and will not satisfy the total demand for cattle holding in the region, with other similar facilities also proposed.”
Although the proposed cattle yard will have a capacity of 15,000 head of cattle across 18 pens, it is anticipated the development would typically be used to hold 2000- 6000 head.
The planned holding yard is at 812- 840 Flinders Highway and 7- 11 Heath Rd, Oak Valley; immediately south of the Kier- nan Dve/ Flinders Highway signalled intersection.
There would also be fulltime jobs coming from the facility. According to the application, six people would be employed full- time for the yard’s day- to- day operations.
However, when cattle are being delivered to the port more people would be employed.
Although only an application has been lodged, the developers are hoping the facility will be operating by next year.
The development application was lodged on April 6.
It comes after revelations from 60 Minutes on April 8 that hundreds of live sheep were cramped together and dying aboard a ship bound for the Middle East.
Milford Planning, who put together the development application on behalf of Ronmar Rural, were contacted for comment.
Ronmar Rural was unable to be contacted directly for comment.