THE Shire of Capel is welcoming the prospect of retaining saleyards in the region, as it looks set to be the favoured area for the relocation of the Boyanup saleyards.
Shire president Murray Scott and chief executive officer Paul Sheedy participated in an online interview with the Agriculture and Food Department (DAFWA) and WA Treasury representatives to respond to a series of questions in regards to the relocation.
According to minutes from a shire meeting at the end of February, DAFWA suggested that the Shire of Capel represented the most appropriate location for the replacement Boyanup facility, given its central location within the cattle catchment and road network.
DAFWA estimated the construction cost of the replacement facility is likely to be in the vicinity of $15 million for a covered facility with a capacity of approximately 1500-2000 head.
"The closure and sale of the Midland saleyards was intended to finance the establishment of new facilities at Muchea, Katanning and the South West and also allow for the purchase of Mount Barker saleyards from the Shire of Plantagenet," the shire minutes said.
"However the cost of the Muchea facility exceeds the estimated cost substantially and additional funds may be required from Treasury to finalise the South West saleyards construction."
First and foremost, the shire said its model of choice would be a State Government-owned and operated facility through a statutory body, such as the WA Meat Industry Association (WAMIA), followed by a State Government-owned facility with management and operations outsourced, a public /private partnership model and lastly a full commercial ownership and operation.
Mr Scott said the shire was fully supportive of relocating the Boyanup saleyards within the shire, although did not hold hope that a State Government-owned and operated facility through WAMIA would be the model selected by government.
"We want to keep the saleyards in the shire and although our first choice would be to have them State Government-owned and WAMIA-operated, we're not so sure that will be the choice made," Mr Scott said.
In September last year, Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said the budget for the saleyards would depend on the option chosen, but obviously the public-private ownership model would be the cheaper model.
He said there were already funds of $20m from previous land sales, which would be enough to cover the public-private ownership model.
"We still have land at Midland that's yet to be sold, but it's important to remember that that land is Government owned and not industry owned," Mr Redman said.
"So that money wouldn't necessarily go towards the saleyards.
"The public-private owndership model becomes attractive because there is an opportunity to use leftover funds for other projects, such as precincts.
"It's about the bigger game.
"There is a shorter time frame with that model as well."
At the meeting, it was also agreed that the Shire of Capel did not wish to be involved in any ownership or ongoing management of the regional saleyards facility and while the regional saleyards facility did not have to be located within the Shire of Capel, council would be supportive if it was established within the shire, as they believe it needs to be located centrally within the South West region and Kemerton is not a suitable location.
The shire said it would be prepared to give consideration at a suitable time to meeting the cost of upgrading relevant roads to allow for access to the saleyards facilities if they were located within the shire, but it would be subject to the submission of detailed costs involved and the financial situation at the time.
It would be prepared to have a representative on any working group/steering committee established to oversee the development of the regional saleyards facility, and any management structure for the new regional saleyards facility should ensure that all selling agents or other interested parties/organisations were allowed to utilise the facilities and were not excluded because they were not part of the management structure.
Mr Sheedy said they were comfortable with the process of due diligence being carried out by the Government at the moment, and were hopeful that things were progressing.
"Things are moving forward and we can see light at the end of the tunnel," Mr Sheedy said.
"We've done a Boyanup townsite strategy, so we're keen to get the saleyards relocated sooner rather than later."
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