Saleyards closure ‘driven by money’
FARMER BLASTS COUNCIL BACKFLIP
GEELONG council’s decision to close the Geelong saleyards was shortsighted and driven by the mountain of money to be made by slapping a large development on the prime land, a former saleyards advisory committee member claims.
Barrabool cattle farmer Ian Kelly said his suspicions were all but confirmed by the council’s recent ramping up of its exploration of opening a new livestock exchange just four years after the Geelong saleyards were shut down, and a $4m commitment to a potential future project.
Mr Kelly was a vocal member of a large group of farmers who fought the contentious closure of the 148year-old Geelong saleyards by council administrators in August 2017.
“They seemed to have a predetermined issue made up in their minds, and they completely ignored the advice or the needs of the farmers at the time,” Mr Kelly said.
“It was absolutely shortsighted.”
“They had a budget problem and all they could see were the dollars they would get for selling it and subdividing it into real estate.”
Mr Kelly welcomed the City of Greater Geelong’s proposed 2021-22 budget inclusion of $150,000 to develop a feasibility study into the launch of a “regional livestock and information exchange”, with a further $4m in forward estimates to build a potential facility.
“A livestock exchange will enable farmers to get competitive prices for their livestock, rather than just having to accept the prices offered by the abattoirs where you have no choice,” he said.
But Mr Kelly warned the time it might take to actually get a new version of the saleyards up and running was a “real worry”.
Geelong council last year unveiled plans to transform the historic saleyards site into a new housing precinct — including apartments of up to six storeys — with space for about 1300 residents.
“Currently farmers are appreciative of the current councillors in budgeting to provide a new facility to meet the current needs of farmers, including the many, many hobby farmers who provide significant livestock into our food chain to help remedy the wrongs of the past,” Mr Kelly said.
Land was bought for the Geelong saleyards in North Geelong by the Geelong Town Corporation in 1867, where the livestock exchange operated from 1869 until August 21, 2017.
In August 2016, the CoGG closed the saleyards for sheep and cattle sales due to “significant occupational health and safety” issues, with the city’s administrators in 2017 noting a 70 per cent decline in cattle numbers through the saleyards from 2000-2016.
An independent report also estimated repair works to bring the cattle yards to an acceptable standard would cost $2.9m, with the saleyards having already recorded losses of more than $200,000 in 2016 and 2015.