The Directors of South Eastern Livestock Exchange (SELX) said, in a statement, that the last few years have seen a period of ongoing rationalisation of traditional saleyard facilities in favour of more efficient regional selling centres. 

“The new facilities have been developed to replace ageing, local government or privately owned and operated yards,” Brendan Abbey said.

“These larger, safer, efficient and more environmentally sensitive facilities have proven to be the way of the future.”

Mr Abbey and Col Medway believe the facilities are focused on delivering best practice animal welfare outcomes. They said they have taken inspiration from various centres in Carcoar, Tamworth, Albury/Wodonga and Forbes.

“A notable gap in the re-developed network of selling centres exists in South East NSW servicing the Southern Tablelands, Monaro and the Southwest Slopes regions,” Mr Medway said.

The facility will have selling pen capacity of 3800 fat cattle and 30,000 sheep and lambs, and it is located at the junction of seven major highways and arterial roads, in close proximity to the Hume Highway at Yass with access via the town’s southern highway services interchange. 

The directors hope the location will attract livestock from smaller, outdated open-air facilities within a 250km radius and livestock that are currently being sent to other larger centres further away. They say facility will also offer producers a very viable option for livestock that are currently being sold direct to works and feedlots many hundreds of kilometres away.

There are reportedly committed agents from Yass, Goulburn, Crookwell, Cootamundra, Young, Boorowa, Gundagai, Braidwood, Moss Vale and Cooma.

They also said there are 12 individual livestock companies who have committed to selling livestock at SELX.

The pair believe the project will be completed by July next year.