A good season and buyers and sellers flocking to the $16 million facility are building confidence at the fledgling South Eastern Livestock Exchange.

The complex opened in August but already it’s selling 15,000 to 16,000 sheep and lambs and 1000 head of cattle per week, says director Brendan Abbey. He expects those numbers will grow to 20,000 and 1500 respectively in coming weeks.

“In two weeks we have three sheep sales in the one week and two cattle sales. One of them includes Goulburn’s first cross ewe sale, which is over 8000 head,” he said.

Meanwhile, the future of Goulburn saleyard is in doubt, with no sheep and cattle sales being held since August.

Owner Bill Vowles, of Kattle Gear Australia Pty Ltd, acknowledged the downturn coincided with the Yass saleyard opening the same month.

Adding insult is the loss of regular annual fixtures, the first cross ewe sales in November and January. The sales typically attract up to 12,000 head but now they’re off to Yass.

Asked about the Finlay Road complex’s future, Mr Vowles said:

“I don’t think we have a future but time will tell. People may find the yard dues at Yass too dear.

“We certainly have the infrastructure in place for special sales...but it’s not looking good, to be frank. We can’t tell producers where to sell.”

The flow of stock south from Goulburn is no surprise to Mr Abbey. He says people appreciate the Yass yard’s soft floor, undercover facility, the sloping roof, amenities and that sales were “working perfectly.”

More importantly, they’re fetching higher prices.

“We’re providing competition,” Mr Abbey said. “Goulburn has not provided that. It’s a simple equation; numbers equal competition.”

He says yard fees are five per cent higher than Goulburn’s but so far there’s no “kickback” on these.

Mr Abbey has no firm numbers on Goulburn stock being sold. However three agents from this city and two from Crookwell are selling at Yass. So too is Jim Hindmarsh at Moss Vale. In total 12 agents sell at the complex. A further two from the Monaro and one from Forbes have recently lodged expressions of interest. 

On Wednesday, sheep and lamb yarding was slightly down at 14,036 but heavy new season lambs topped at $171 and averaged $120/head. 

Mr Abbey says prices are comparable to Carcoar’s while cattle prices are on par “if not better” than those at Wagga, Forbes, Carcoar and Moss Vale.

Mr Vowles however, has questioned SELX’s business case.

“If I were them I’d be concerned because they haven’t got the numbers they talked about and it cost a lot to build. They will need a big income to support that...”

Mr Abbey has previously rejected this claim. Meantime, Mr Vowles recently won council approval to irrigate treated effluent and stormwater from the Goulburn saleyard on to a Painters Lane property.

The council and the Southern Regional Planning Panel had earlier rejected the proposal. Mr Vowles then lodged a modified development application which the council conditionally approved in September.

A special cattle sale, bringing in up to 1000 head, will still be held at the Goulburn Finlay Road yard on November 10. 

Mr Vowles said agents were locked into Yass because they had paid deposits to the operators which carried number commitments. But he pointed out yard fees were “very much cheaper” at Goulburn.

Kattle Gear purchased the yard from the council in 2000 for $100. It carried contractual obligations including a new saleyard, which never materialised. Mr Vowles said he couldn’t run the current facility without business but hadn’t thought about the possibility of closure.