THE long-term future of the Boyanup saleyards is under a cloud.
With the lease set to run out in eight years, the Capel Shire Council, as part of the Boyanup Townsite Strategy, want to see a relocation of the yards.
Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston is set to meet with Capel Shire Council members to discuss the relocation.
A disappointed Capel Shire president Murray Scott said Mr Baston has questioned the need for a replacement saleyard in the shire.
"Cattle numbers at all saleyards have declined in recent times due to lower stock numbers and an increase in sale by alternative means," Mr Baston replied in a letter to the shire.
"There is already substantial unused capacity at the Muchea Livestock Centre and Mt Barker and if saleyard throughputs continue to decline it is possible that a replacement for Boyanup will not be required in 2022."
Mr Baston said the State Government had already invested $74.45 million in fulfilment of its election commitment to upgrade and consolidate the regional livestock network.
The Muchea Livestock Centre received a capital expenditure of $54.5m, the Katanning shire was allocated $17m to replace ageing facilities and the Plantagenet Shire received $2.3m to assist with debt release.
"A further $2.2m was approved to stimulate a private/government response to replace the Boyanup cattle saleyards," Mr Baston said in the letter.
"Confidential market soundings in late 2011 found there was no commercial interest in replacing the Boyanup cattle saleyards."
Mr Baston added that the WA Livestock Salesman Association (WALSA) declined an offer of $780,000 in 2012 to co-fund works to address animal welfare and safety and health issues at the saleyards, and no more capital investment of public funds in livestock saleyards could be justified or was needed.
Mr Scott said it was a kick in the guts to cattle producers in the South West.
"The Minister's claims that cattle numbers at all saleyards have declined in recent times is not correct as the numbers at the Boyanup saleyards since 2008/09 have increased by 40 per cent," Mr Scott said.
"Other than a small operation at Manjimup, Boyanup is now the only saleyard operating in the South West and a new modern saleyard would attract further throughput numbers.
"The inference by the Minister in his letter that producers could take their stock to the Muchea or Mt Barker saleyards is a ridiculous suggestion and shows a lack of understanding of the costs involved or impact on the cattle."
Mr Scott said he believed there was a lack of support by the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) for new saleyards in the South West and that it was providing poor advice to the Minister on this matter.
WALSA chair Leon Giglia categorically denied that WALSA was formally offered any such grant of $780,000, as Mr Baston indicated in his letter.
He said there had been no external funding expended on the Boyanup yards for a number of years.
"WALSA has spent $1.2m on the upkeep of the facilities and neither partner, Elders or Landmark, have taken a dividend from the yards in seven years," Mr Giglia said.
He understood there was $2.2m left over from the regional restructure of saleyards and said WALSA, Capel Shire and DAFWA had a meeting in 2012 to discuss how that money could be used.
"There was a full work order and work program drawn up that would expedite some of the improvements that WALSA is doing now, but we never received any funding," Mr Giglia said.
According to Mr Giglia, WALSA supported a need for a set of regional yards in the South West and if that was inclusive of a relocation then "so be it".
But he admitted WALSA would not currently be in the position to self-fund a relocation.
"There would have to be some external partners involved," he said.
Mr Giglia said it was good to see the Capel Shire being proactive in determining the future of the saleyards, rather than leaving it until the last minute.
