Also includes an update of the Citys progress on resolutions made at a Special Meeting of Council on 2 August 2017.

Permanent closure 

Why did the Geelong Saleyards close?

Reports on the operation and potential closure of the Geelong Saleyards have been brought before Council since 1998 with a number of recommendations to close the facility.

In August 2016 the City closed the Geelong Saleyards for sheep and cattle sales due to significant Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issues at the site.

Works commenced in November 2016 to enable safe operations of sheep sales only at the facility.

In December 2016 the City’s Administrators resolved to defer a decision on costly cattle yard repair works and future operations at the Geelong Saleyards until the completion of an independent local stock market analysis a full costing of OH&S works on the cattle yards and a regional agribusiness strategy.

The following three key pieces of information and extensive stakeholder engagement informed the final decision to permanently close the Geelong Saleyards from 31 August 2017.

Independent local stock market analysis

In May 2017 the City’s Administrators formally noted the independent Saleyards Livestock Market Analysis Report.

The report highlighted that the saleyards model in Geelong is “not the solution to the challenge of providing a livestock exchange for the demographic existing now and into the future”.

The report noted a 70% decline in cattle numbers through the Geelong Saleyards from 2000 to 2016.

The report is available on our saleyards page.

Full costing of OH&S works on the cattle yards

The financial performance of the Geelong Saleyards during the past 10 years has declined with the last two years resulting in losses of more than $200 000 per annum.

An independent report from Zinc Cost Management estimated that works to repair the cattle yards to an acceptable standard (without a roof) is $2 895 000.

The report is available on our saleyards page.

Regional agribusiness strategy

A Sustainable Agribusiness Strategy for the G21 Region which was endorsed by the Administrators at a Special Meeting of Council on 2 August 2017 noted that of the region’s livestock share more than three quarters of the livestock comes from outside Greater Geelong’s municipal boundary.

The Sustainable Agribusiness Strategy for the G21 Region is available online.

Stakeholder engagement and consultation

Extensive consultation was undertaken to inform the Administrators’ decision to permanently close the Geelong Saleyards.

This consultation included but was not limited to engagement with:

• Stock agents
• Transport operators
• Saleyards Users including the Geelong Saleyards Users Group
• G21 Agribusiness Forum
• G21 Agribusiness Board
• Surf Coast Shire
• Golden Plains Shire
• Colac Otway Shire
• OH&S Consultant
• Traffic Management Consultant
• Ag Concepts Consultants
• North Geelong residents
• Buyers
• State and Federal Government Members of Parliament
• Australian Livestock Saleyards Association
• Livestock Saleyards Association Victoria
• Metalcorp
• Proway
• Department of Economic Development Jobs Transp