Auction hammer to fall on Warrnambool's former saleyards, again

The first sale, which was held earlier this year just months after the facility closed, brought $200,000 into the council's coffers.

The council had been set to spend about $5.6 million upgrading the ageing facility but after a heated public debate over the long-term future of the site councillors voted 4-3 in November 2022 to close it down mid-2023 rather than spend the money.

It was a decision that upset farmers and agents who decided to move their business elsewhere before Christmas which lead to the closure of the yards earlier than expected.

The run down facility created issues for the council when concrete walkways collapsed in October 2020.

The council spent almost $300,000 on new steel walkways which were installed about a year before the facility closed.

The almost-new walkways failed to sell at the original clearing sale held in May this year.

Of the 361 lots at the previous auction, 347 sold.

The clearing sale starts on Monday, November 27, 2023 and closes on Monday, December 4.

Items up for sale include gates, rails, timber, rubber matting, steel shelving and other items.

A masterplan is under development into the future of the land and the report is expected to put a dollar figure on how much it will cost to rehabilitate the site.