Shire defers request to support study into new saleyards

THE Surf Coast Shire has held off on providing funding for a study into creating a new saleyards facility until it receives more information.

Councillors considered the $20,000 request from the City of Greater Geelong towards a rural and peri-urban scoping study for a multi-purpose livestock and information exchange, to be built somewhere in the G21 region, at their January 22 meeting.

According to the report presented to councillors, “significant staff time” has been spent since the Geelong Saleyards closed in August 2017 monitoring the sale of sheep and cattle originating from Surf Coast Shire via various saleyards and sale platforms “to confirm if adequate pathways to market exist”.

“Additional aspects associated with the multipurpose facility such as education, food and branding are covered in actions contained in the Sustainable Agribusiness Strategy for the G21 Region 2017-2022 and do not require a saleyard facility to enact.

“Data collected indicates multiple pathways to market exist and are being accessed by Surf Coast based livestock producers.

“Additional components of the proposed project are being delivered by other organisations and actions.

“Further, it also reveals that unmet demand for an additional livestock exchange facility does not exist in the Surf Coast region.”

On this basis, officers recommended declining the request for funding.

Instead, councillors resolved to defer the request “until further information is received regarding biosecurity issues and the full scope of the proposed study”.

Cr Carol McGregor said reports presented so far had not considered the possibility of a combined facility.

“But until we actually get a scoping study, we don’t even know whether that’s a viable option.”