Berrigan Shire Council offering Finley saleyards for purchase or lease
What happens next to the Finley saleyards remains undecided after the local council offered the facility for sale for the first time.
A Riverina livestock saleyard is facing an uncertain future after the Berrigan Shire Council put it on the market for the first time.
The council this month opened the door to proposals to sell or lease the Finley saleyards, which has been operated by Scanclear since 2008.
“The council has been considering the future of Finley saleyards for some time now,” Berrigan Shire Council chief executive officer Matthew Hansen said.
“The saleyards, while serviceable, have reached a stage where additional capital investment may be required to meet future service expectations.
“This investment may be more suited to the private sector rather than council.
“While the sale price is one factor the council will consider, the council’s main interest is finding an owner or operator prepared to invest in the long-term future of the facility.”
In Australia the majority of livestock saleyards are owned by local government councils, however private players like AAM Investment Group, who own Victorian saleyards at Barnawartha, Ballarat and Corangamite and SELX, who own the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange at Mortlake, have moved into the market in recent years.
Throughput at Finley has declined to well-below its ten-year average of 12,000 cattle and 75,000 sheep sold per year.
There were 65,150 sheep were sold at the saleyards in 2021-22, a 8.4 decrease year-on-year, while there was a 19.8 per cent decrease for cattle with 8988 sold during the same time.
Scanclear manager and owner Brendan Carey said the council should be assessing all options for the future of the Finley saleyards.
“The council should be open to what can be done to give ratepayers the best value for money,” he said.
“Agriculture is completely different in the Riverina compared to when the saleyards were built.
“There is a lot more machinery in the paddocks for cropping now - livestock in the Riverina is not mainstream like it used to be.”
Nathan Everingham and Co chief executive Nathan Everingham said a private buyer could be what the facility needed.
“We are very keen to see the saleyards keep going,” he said.
“I would probably suggest a private buyer. I think the council is keen for someone else to take it on.
“Traffic has eased slightly, but Finley has never run on quantity - it is known for its quality. This is a fattening area, not a breeding one.”