Ballarat saleyards to move

BALLARAT City councillors have backed a proposal by private company RLX to build new saleyards at Miners Rest.

05/06/2000 PIRATE: GRIFFIN: 05/06/00. Ballarat saleyards. selling action, at the Ballarat saleyards. /cattle Pic. Mark Griffin

BALLARAT City councillors have backed a proposal by private company RLX to build new saleyards at Miners Rest.

Council received more than 180 submissions relating to the new yards, which were first proposed 10 years ago.

After three days of special meetings last week a planning amendment that would permit the new yards was approved.

RLX Operating Company executive director, Paul Brown said it was a fantastic outcome for Ballarat.

“It secures up to $190 million in economic benefit and 700 jobs,” Mr Brown said.

“We will now be advocating strongly to the Victorian Government to ensure Council’s decision is approved by the Planning Minister,”

“RLX looks forward to investing circa $23 million in the new saleyards at Miners Rest, which will secure the future of this important economic and agri-infrastructure asset in Ballarat.”

Ballarat Stock and Station Agents Association president Tom Madden said the agents supported the new saleyards at the Miner Rest site, but still had major concerns about the proposed design and capacity of the new facilities.

“We don’t have to move,” Mr Madden said.

“We’d love new saleyards, but we won’t settle for anything less than what we’ve currently got at the moment,” he said.

Mr Madden said the current Ballarat saleyards had an annual through put of 75,000 cattle and 1.5million sheep.