The Moyne Shire Council is making an application to Regional Development Victoria (RDV) to source funding for a regional saleyards feasibility study.

It is estimated the cost of the study will be between $35,000 and $45,000.

Councillors have backed a report by council’s corporate business manager Mitchell Rowe to pursue the establishment of a regional livestock selling facility in the great south coast region.

A brief has been prepared by the council and presented to agricultural consultants who would undertake the feasibility on the council’s behalf should the funding application be successful.

This brief includes the need for answers on areas such as location, size, dealing with effluent treatment, costings, a survey of farmers and agents and the viability of saleyards into the future.

Mr Rowe’s report pointed to the benefits of Moyne leading the way in the search for a saleyards solution.

“Failure to undertake a regional saleyard feasibility study may result in any new proposed regional saleyard being poorly located and therefore adversely impacting on the local industry. 

“Discussions with RDV reveal support from state government is more likely if a regional feasibility study was to be undertaken.”

The issue of the possible need for a new saleyard facility for the district emerged in 2010 when a review by the Warrnambool City Council decided it wanted to relocate its saleyards.

On the top of the wish list for Warrnambool’s new saleyards is that the location must be in close proximity to the city, leaving Moyne as the likely option.

At the moment, 80 per cent of throughput at the Warrnambool saleyards comes from the Moyne Shire, making input from the council into a future location even more important.

The Corangamite Shire Council is currently undertaking a review of its saleyards in Camperdown with the result also likely to be considered in any conversation about the future location of the Warrnambool saleyards.