What's happening with the Geelong Saleyards?

Update: 17 July 2017:

1. the Agribusiness Strategy and the Geelong Saleyards are now to be presented at a special meeting of the Geelong Council on the 2nd of August.

2. The Sustainable Agribusiness Strategy is now live for comment at www.geelongaustralia.com.au until 27 July

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A report updating all progress in relation to the Geelong Saleyards is scheduled for the July Geelong Council meeting.

Surf Coast has been involved in a new advisory committee for the Geelong Saleyards since it formed at the start of this 2017.

This follows the sudden closure of the Saleyards last year due to OH&S reasons and subsequent re-opening of the site for sheep sales.

The Committee was formed by the City of Greater Geelong following a recommendation from the Surf Coast Council and feedback from a November saleyards stakeholder forum.

Surf Coast has maintained a position that a significant number of small sheep and cattle enterprises in the Surf Coast rely on the Saleyards to provide local access to a market to enable buying and selling of their livestock.

The Advisory Committee has provided advice to the City of Greater Geelong on:

• Establishing a temporary cattle transit service

• An independent, expert local stock market analysis assessing the pros and cons of different paths to market

• Costings to re-establish cattle sales on a temporary basis and/or upgrade the facility

• A regional agribusiness strategy considering the future demand for Saleyards

A report updating all progress in relation to the Geelong Saleyards is scheduled for the July Geelong Council meeting. The agenda will be available from Friday 14 July 2017 at https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au.

For further information, contact Simon Loone, Surf Coast Business & Tourism Strategy Coordinator on 03 5261 0608 or sloone@surfcoast.vic.gov.au.