Andrew Mason said livestock throughput at the Camperdown saleyards had remained strong despite the opening of the new Western Victoria Livestock Exchange at Mortlake earlier this year.

Mr Mason said the strong preference by many cattle producers in Corangamite shire to sell at the Camperdown saleyards had led the council to hand the saleyards’ operation to a private operator.

The council believed the private operation of the saleyards gave the facility the best chance to continue to perform strongly, he said.

The continued operation of the Camperdown saleyards would provide benefits for the area, Mr Mason said.

After previously supporting a push for a regional saleyards, Corangamite council this month leased the Camperdown saleyards to Regional Livestock Exchanges, part of the AAM Investments group that also includes Regional Infrastructure Pty Ltd (RIPL).

Four years ago, the Corangamite mayor at the time, Cr Chris O’Connor, said the council would close the Camperdown saleyards if a regional saleyards was built in the shire.

The council was negotiating with RIPL at the time about building a regional saleyards in the shire. 

Mr Mason said leasing the Camperdown saleyards to RLX would mean two full-time council staff who had been employed at the saleyards would be redeployed to other council roles.

He said four casual staff, who had been employed in roles such as doing data entry and washing down the yards after sales, would be made redundant.