Council searches for new saleyard operators despite ‘significant’ estimated costs

Corangamite Shire Council is searching for new saleyard managers at Camperdown, after the previous operators said the site needed “significant” investment.

Corangamite Shire Council is on the hunt for new managers of the Camperdown saleyards’ site, after a major saleyard operator deemed it financially unsustainable.

Regional Livestock Exchange hosted its final store sale at the Camperdown Regional Livestock Exchange (CRLX) on Tuesday, after announcing it would end its lease with the site owner, Corangamite Shire Council.

RLX said in a statement that engineering reports had shown the site was currently safe to use, but it would need “substantial capital investment” to maintain safe operations.

Industry sources estimated the capital costs would be hundreds of thousands of dollars, with significant cost rises in recent years.

Corangamite Shire chief executive David Rae said the council was currently seeking expressions of interest for potential future use, after a meeting with stakeholders.

“Given the decision and the short time frame from RLX, with sales ceasing just a couple of weeks after the decision was announced, council met with agents and key stakeholders who use the facility,” he said.

He said they were also discussing the future use of the truck wash facility with key stakeholders.

The council was awaiting further information about the decommissioning process and would determine its next steps in the coming months.

The operations ceasing comes just 12 months after Warrnambool City Council closed its local yards, due to a lack of financial return.

The final sale at CRLX also happened days before the Victorian Livestock Exchange (VLE) hosted its final sale at Pakenham saleyards.

RLX chief executive officer Brett Freer said RLX had persisted for several years to draw higher yarding numbers to Camperdown.

He said they were working with stakeholders to find solutions for any livestock sale needs.