Sheep pen renewal project nearing completion
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The sheep pen renewal project at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange is nearing completion with the installation of the new roof well underway.
The upgrade includes the installation of a new roof and soft flooring over the newly rebuilt sheep and multi-stock pens. The size of the sheep pens will remain the same. The project also includes new draft and delivery areas, new loading ramps, LED lighting, extra cattle pens and water troughs.
Offsite work on the project commenced in February with the construction of items like stockyard paneling. Onsite work commenced the beginning of May and is on track to be completed by September.
This is stage two of a significant upgrade of the Livestock Exchange. The combined cost of stage one and two is $1.8 million. The Australian Government’s drought infrastructure funding contributed $542,638 to stage one. Stage two project cost is $1.2 million and funded by Council.
Council’s General Manager Assets and Environment, Fiona Weigall said the upgrade will improve animal welfare standards and facilities for local farmers, buyers and sellers.
“The saleyards see a throughput of over 75,000 head of livestock through each year. These important upgrades will improve conditions for the animals and also improve the accessibility and functionality of this site, supporting the local agricultural community and hopefully leading to better sale prices and larger sales,” Ms Weigall said.
“Being undercover, the facility will be more comfortable to buyers on sale days and this could attract extra buyers and vendors from further afield to our facility,” Ms Weigall said.
“The soft flooring will minimise the cost and labour needed to wash down the old hard floor area. The roof will capture the stormwater and it will be reused in the facility for washdowns and animal drinking water.”
This project is the second stage of a significant upgrade of the livestock exchange. Stage one was funded through Australian Government drought infrastructure funding and consisted of the removal of old pens, redeveloping the parking and loading areas, replacing the old ablution block and installing rainwater tanks to capture rain from the roofed areas.