Was saleyard too expensive to compete?

HARD not to feel sorry for councillors who made the decision (4-3) that continued support for the Warrnambool saleyards made no long-term economic sense. 

Barring a drastic policy change the aging yards are set to close on June 30. 

I’ve long had a soft spot for this selling centre.

Memory goes back to primary school days at Purnim and the family running a dairy farm plus a few sheep.

Occasional market days involved a furlough from school, rising early to help load stock, then seven of us piling into the family’s pride and joy, a Humber, and following the truck to Warrnambool for an exciting day out.

As many older readers will remember the saleyards then were sited on the Princes Highway, immediately off the north end of Liebig St.

In winter this wasn’t a great place to be. There was sparse cover. Rain and icy winds from Tasmania meant that anyone who could quickly went shopping, or to a movie matinee if it was school holidays, or off to the pub for a long, wet, counter lunch.

Today, such saleyards (now usually called livestock exchanges) were much more numerous.

Many a country town kept one for pride and economic reasons. Placed strategically, they reduced the cost of bringing stock to market while providing a fillip to small communities.

In modern times the yards at Casterton, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Mortlake and Camperdown were all that still operated in the south-west.

Some were used but infrequently and maintained largely for sentimental reasons – and, maybe, to limit freight costs occasionally.    

Once you would have found yards at now unlikely places like Port Fairy, Heywood, Terang and probably elsewhere.            

Modern transport options and some buyers restricting themselves to bigger regional centres made life difficult for the small players.             

* * * 

THE Warrnambool site was originally reserved for use as cattle yards and as a general market area in May 1883, but as early as 1897 it was apparent that the yards were too small.

It wasn’t until 1903 that the town council voted to move them.

 Following public protest, however, it was decided instead to rebuild new bigger yards on the site. These were opened in November 1904.

By the 1960s the saleyards were becoming increasingly unacceptable due to traffic congestion, noise and unpleasant odour.

Council was finally forced to move the yards when the Country Roads Board decided to duplicate the Princes Highway in and out of the city.

The saleyards were moved to the present site on Caramut Road in 1970.

 The limestone wall on the northern boundary (behind which some of us youngsters would watch, shelter and wish for a quick sales because of boredom) is the only remnant of the old yards. There are local heritage values.

* * *

FOR years the Warrnambool saleyards were well supported.

The new $15 million yards at Mortlake, however, became a serious threat. 

Looking at recent weekly sale reports much of the trade east of Warrnambool has now drifted to Mortlake despite the best efforts of Warrnambool to hold sellers.

Around a decade ago Warrnambool City Council tried to transfer control to a private enterprise, but that move was quashed after strong protests by agents and producers.

That didn’t stop council for searching for a more economic model – willing even, perhaps, to support a private company prepared to set up within 20 km of the city.

That proposal was to safeguard the agribusinesses then involved along Caramut Rd and other city traders who benefited from rural visitors.  

The new facility at Mortlake limited Warrnambool’s potential for growth or even holding custom.

There have been discussions about the wisdom of renewal onsite, moving the yards to the city boundary, better marketing and more. 

Clearly the old yards needed massive capital upgrades to survive, made obvious last year when a walkway collapsed and a lawsuit followed.

The ever tightening OH&S requirements at such selling centres and constant pressure to improve animal welfare mean that a quick tizzy-up only kicks the can down the road for a short time.

With direct selling and the growth of online options, today’s saleyard operators everywhere need to do their sums before committing heavily.  

Obviously the majority of city councillors did the sums and thought the money required for maintenance and upgrades could be better spent elsewhere.

The previous council clearly thought otherwise, having spent around $1 million to erect a roof over part of the yards.

With hindsight that’s now a cruel waste of ratepayer and taxpayer money.    

If saleyard maintenance savings and proceeds from the sale of land herald a spiffy new similarly loss-making art gallery for Warrnambool, as proposed by some, disaffected farmers will be even less pleased.    

Footnote: At the time of writing some prominent people were still working doggedly behind the scenes to reverse council’s decision.