Thursday, 1 October, 2020
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‘Springing’ into tourism boom time... The Granite Belt Art and Craft Trail Open Studios event is set to capitalise on the winter tourism boom experienced across the region, as Queenslanders look to holiday here this year in support of regional economies. READ MORE ON PAGE 2
Saleyards talks The Southern Downs Regional Council has formally appointed a new Saleyards Advisory Committee which is due to hold its first meeting in mid-October, with discussion of a master plan to guide the future of the Warwick Saleyards likely to be the main agenda item. At their general meeting last week councillors voted to endorse the appointment of external committee members, with the Saleyards Advisory Committee made up of both councillors and key council officers, as well as livestock and related industry representatives. As its name implies the committee acts in an advisory and consultative capacity but interest in both its membership and terms of reference remains high in the region’s primary production sector, following more than two years of controversy over the Warwick Saleyards during the previous council administration under former Mayor Tracy Dobie. Specifically, the previous council examined the option of outsourcing management of the saleyards to a private operator, and speculation was rife of a push to develop a new saleyards facility on a ‘greenfield’ site in the vicinity of the existing location, although a specific new site was never publicly canvassed by the Dobie administration.
Many in the region’s livestock industry and further afield held concerns over - and strongly opposed - private management of the Warwick Saleyards and the potential for increases in operating fees charged to both sellers and buyers. Joining Councillors Cynthia McDonald and Marco Gliori on the Saleyards Advisory Committee are the following external representatives, endorsed by last week’s vote at the SDRC general meeting Cattle representative - Jim Wedge Agent representative - Matthew Grayson Transport representative - Ross Fraser OAM Sheep representative - John Henry Previous Chair of Saleyards Advisory Committee - Graham Kirkland But of equal - or perhaps greater - significance than the appointment of new committee members is upcoming discussion by the committee of a master plan for the Warwick Saleyards adopted by the Southern Downs Regional Council’s new administration in July of this year. Despite its formal adoption in July the master plan was completed in August 2019 during the term of the Dobie administration. The master plan was compiled by consultants Wiley & Co and outlines a range of poten-
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tial future options for the saleyards, including major upgrades to the existing facility at the corner of Bracker Road and McEvoy Streets, or the development of a new saleyards complex. But on the new saleyards option, potential locations have still not been revealed with the council only publicly releasing the first 29 pages of the Wiley & Co master plan back in July. The remainder of the document is understood to contain detailed costings of both the re-development and new facility options. The Free Times has been seeking since October 2019 to obtain the full master plan through Right To Information (RTI), with our application having been under review by Queensland’s Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) since early 2020. The Dobie administration refused to release any portion of the master plan to the Free Times through Right To Information, citing ‘commercial-in-confidence’ reasons. Current Mayor Vic Pennisi has previously told the Free Times more detail of the master plan will be made public in due course, once further discussion has taken place among the councillors elected in March of this year, along with analysis of an internal council “business case” relating to the master plan. The Free Times continues to argue that
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release of the full document is in the public interest, but more information may come to light in mid-October following the first meeting of the new advisory committee. A council spokeswoman this week told the Free Times the “recently endorsed new Saleyards Advisory Committee is expected to hold their first meeting in mid-October 2020”. “At this meeting, the committee will be briefed on the Master Plan and Business Case,” the spokeswoman said this week. “A report will be presented to Council for consideration following this committee meeting. “Any forthcoming decision by Council will provide a way forward for the Warwick Saleyards to remain a vibrant industry within the Southern Downs region, continuing to attract more livestock on a weekly basis. “Council is fully aware of the enormous benefits the livestock industry brings to the region and will work towards the best possible outcome for the Warwick Saleyards.” No date for the presentation to full council of the report referred to has yet been released. The first 29 pages of the Warwick Saleyards Master Plan Report is available on the council website at www.sdrc.qld.gov.au
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By Jeremy Sollars