Residents told The Courier that, to date, there had been “virtually no consultation” on the multimillion-dollar development earmarked for the area.

Miners Rest Ratepayers Action Group spokesman Neil Braszell said the proposed site was within two kilometres of 90 per cent of the township’s housing. 

He believed the proposal would not only stifle growth in the township but drastically reduce the value of existing houses by more than 25 per cent. 

“It’s going to be the biggest saleyards in Victoria,” Mr Braszell said. 

“A lot of the homes were only built in the last five or six years, so we’ve got new estates and housing here and people who have purchased properties knowing nothing about the saleyards.” 

Mr Braszell said he was also concerned that the facility would offer no benefit to the current residents of the area.

“It’s a great big facility but there has been nothing to say that people from Miners Rest will even get a job there,” Mr Braszell said.

Mr Braszell said the proposed new facility was significantly larger than the current saleyards and activity at the site would increase.

“It’s going to be a lot busier, there will be a lot more animals and cattle sales during the week,” he said. 

The development has been touted as one of biggest pieces of infrastructure the municipality has seen in a decade. 

The Central Victorian Livestock Exchange works approval application lodged with the Environment Protection Authority shows the new saleyards would contain roofed and external sheep and cattle yards, a truck wash area, truck parking, 216 car parks, an office, storage dam, treatment ponds, night lighting, CCTV security, a maintenance and hay shed, and speciality loading and unloading ramps.

City of Ballarat community consultation on the proposal ended last week.

A report on the findings is expected to be presented to councillors in the coming months.

Late last year, councillors also voted to start the formal planning scheme amendment process and request state government authorisation to move the proposal to the next stage.

A “No Miners Rest Saleyards” Facebook page, established earlier this year, has more than 300 likes. 

A community meeting on the issue will be held on Tuesday, April 14, at the Miners Rest Community Hall, 2 Market Street, Miners Rest.

melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au