IN a letter to the Young Shire Council the Young Stock Selling Centre has outlined current problems associated with the sheep and lamb saleyards at the intersection of Lachlan and Trafalgar Streets.
While noting the current lease is not due to expire until November, 2011, the Centre has pointed out that the current drought has led to a significant downturn in sheep numbers in this area.
“This, combined with a shift in vendors and meat companies to market and purchase in bigger and more competitive markets – like Wagga and Forbes – has meant a significant loss of income from the lack of usage of the sheep yard area,” the centre letter to council read.
Yard deterioration and poor access for B Double trucks and the resulting excessive noise levels for nearby residential homes were also cited as reasons why the council should take back the sheep and lamb saleyards.
On the other hand the centre sees the cattle sale yards as being a modern and useful facility capable of selling cattle past the 2011 lease expiry date.
At its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening council resolved to do nothing for the time being.
The recommendation put to the meeting was that council should agree to accept the return of the saleyards (an area of about one hectare) with the view to demolishing the yards to landscape the area and create a buffer zone for the surrounding land users, agree in principle to the agents request for a future lease of the cattle yards post-2011 and handover the toilet facilities to the lessee.
Debate about the issue became strong after Councillor Drum spoke against the proposal, he said the closure of the yards could be premature and that they should not be closed without further discussion.
Cr Drum proposed no action be taken and the matter not be voted on until the next council meeting in February to allow time for further consultation.
Cr Walker said council had missed its chance when council decided not to relocate the yards to Wallendbeen.
“We chucked out our options years ago if you ask me, we used to be leaders and now we are followers,” said Cr Walker.
Cr Stuart Freudenstein said, from his farming background, he knew the day was coming when the yards would have to be closed.
“If the agents have decided the yards are uneconomic then we should listen, they are the ones who are talking to their clients,” said Cr Freudenstein.
Cr Prest said she was more concerned about what an ‘in principle agreement’ by council with the selling agents for the lease of the cattle yards would mean and thought that part of the recomendation should be explored in more detail.
Cr Prest asked if it was true that the yards are currently being leased from council at $1 per month, and this was confirmed by the other councillors.
Cr Drum said he agreed with what the Mayor had said but that council should allow more time for argument.
His amendment to defer the decision until further consultation and vote on the issue at the next council meeting was then voted on and passed by a large majority of councillors.
Speaking for the Young Stock Selling Centre, Joe Bargwanna said he thinks the council is only delaying the inevitable.
“I thought it would have been a lay down misere,” said Mr Bargwanna.
“We’re looking to the long term view of the town and this is definitely not premature, all the smaller centres are closing and you can’t attract buyers if you don’t have the numbers.
“The writing is on the wall – it’s a simple numbers game,” said Mr Bargwanna.
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