Kemerton push for more central cattle saleyard

Industry leaders are pushing for the “antiquated” Boyanup Cattle Saleyard to be rebuilt in the Kemerton Industrial Area in the Shire of Harvey. It is a move which farmers say would pave the way into the future because of its central location, access and closeness to the Bunbury Port. But Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan, below, said she believed the best pathway forward was to upgrade the existing facility. Harvey Shire president and Brunswick beef farmer Paul Gillett said the Boyanup facility was “outdated” and called on the State Government to discuss the Kemerton proposal. “It needs to be brought up to the 21st century and all roads lead to Kemerton,” Mr Gillett said. “If you look at it from a biosecurity and access point of view, a regional saleyard at Kemerton fits the bill. “It could be right on the edge of the buffer, so Forrest Highway and South Western Highway could feed north and south.” Brunswick farmer and owner of Wedderburn Transport Mark Talbot said he felt the Boyanup saleyard was in the wrong place. “They are outdated and are struggling to meet current occupational health and safety requirements,” he said. “We need a new facility with safe access for transport.” Mr Talbot said from a transport perspective it made sense to have a road train route, which existed at Kemerton, to move stock north and south. He said a truck wash and good water supply was “a must” in order to deal with biosecurity. Mr Talbot said the project would take up to a decade to complete, therefore his view was for the future of the industry. Waroona Shire President and beef farmer Mike Walmsley said the council supported the position to build the saleyard in Kemerton. “We need a regional saleyard with good transport links,” Mr Walmsley said. “Boyanup is antiquated and could be in a better location, Kemerton makes more sense. All roads lead to Kemerton and it’s close to the Bunbury Port which would work well for live export. Mr Walmsley said the Boyanup facility was too close to the townsite and believed it was important to move away from residential areas. “Recently with the beef market zooming — it’s actually good timing,” he said. “We could get the next wave of beef production.” But Ms MacTiernan said she did not support the relocation. “There is concern about whether that is the best use for that strategic industrial land,” Ms MacTiernan said. “Secondly we already have a facility that is going to be upgraded, the lessee and shire have agreed on a new 10-year lease.” Ms MacTiernan said: “This is an industry that is changing quite rapidly, so the move away from saleyards is quite strong, many more animals go directly from the farm to the abattoir. “So the idea to do an upgrade to get us to 2030 makes a hell of a lot of sense.” Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke was contacted for comment.