The fraught development road of Ballarat's new saleyards at Miner’s Rest is nearing an end with an Open Day at the $31 million on Saturday, June 23, and the move imminent.
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The development of the new Central Victorian Livestock Exchange (CVLX) has overcome many challenges, including protests from residents and years of Council indecision.
The AAM Investment Group managing director, Garry Edwards, said the Open Day would be held on Saturday, June 23 and “everyone was welcome to go through.”
AAM Investment Group is the manager of the CVLX business on behalf of RLX. Construction is due to finish by late July and the new saleyards will open on 17 August with the first sale.
Local stock and station agents have been mostly positive, with some expressing concern over the increased fees at the new complex.
Some said it was especially tough on smaller agencies with the change in fee structure that would increase agent’s fees at the saleyards to a reported $200,000 per annum.
“We will need an extra $4,000 a week just to operate,” one agent said.
Mr Edwards said the CVLX project represents “a total investment of $31 million by the private sector”.
He said the “fee structure for this project and the projected changes that would be put in place at the new site were discussed with livestock agents more than nine years ago, when the project was originally conceived.”
“A decision was made to defer the introduction of some fee changes, such as agent operating fees, until the new facility opened and the money had been invested to improve conditions for both livestock and people working at the site.” Mr Edwards said.
Mr Edwards said the fees for operating at the new site were finalised earlier this year and presented to the CVLX Advisory Committee in April, once all costs were known.
The President of the Ballarat Stock and Station Agents Association, Xavier Burke said the association and most agents were “excited to be going into the new facility”.
“It’s a brand new facility and, save a few ‘teething issues” to be worked out, we are looking forward to settling in,” he said.
The fee structure for this project was discussed with livestock agents more than nine years ago.
- AAM managing director, Garry Edwards
Mr Edwards said the yard fee structure of the new site is “in line with that charged at other modern regional facilities with a tiered structure being adopted that is more equitable for Vendors with cattle ranging from $8.50 to $11.00 per head excluding bulls and sheep from $0.75 to $1.05 per head.”
While operating fees were confidential “as they relate to the commercial agreements between the individual Agents and the site” Mr Edwards said he could confirm agents’ operating fees were “the same as those proposed in May 2009 when the project first began.”
“Obviously these fees have increased from the substantially subsidised rates that have been in place at the old facility over the past nine years.
“The difference in the quality of the two facilities and their working environments is clear for all to see.”
Mr Edwards said all agents currently operating at CVLX would automatically have their license to operate transferred to the new location at no cost.
The CVLX Advisory Committee – an operational consultative group that provides input into the design of the new facility and feedback on operational matters – was set up several months ago.
The complex will handle 1.6 million sheep and 70,000 cattle annually and livestock is expected to come from a 250 kilometre radius of the site.
