Major livestock selling facility receives more than $3 million.
Upgrades to one of the Australia’s major livestock selling facilities in the regional New South Wales city of Dubbo will begin early next year.
The Federal Government has pledged $3.3 million to improve the facilities, which are at Dubbo’s regional livestock markets.
Dubbo City Council mayor Mathew Dickerson says the funds will be spent on building a second weighbridge, 140 new selling pens, four double-deck ramps and the reconfiguration of two express lanes.
“Thirteen air-operated drafting gates and at least one ratchet rotary force yard will be installed, along with an additional 32 receiving pens with buyer’s and auctioneer’s walkways,” he says.
Construction will start in February 2016 and is expected to be finished by November 2016.
Federal infrastructure minister Warren Truss says the livestock markets have been operating for more than 50 years and have grown to be the largest saleyard in Australia in terms of combined sheep and cattle throughput.
Truss says more than 1.3 million ship and 300,000 cattle were sold last financial year.