Intense debate on the future of the Millicent saleyards is anticipated tonight when Wattle Range Council holds a special meeting at the Millicent RSL Hall.

Councillors have been asked to endorse a staff recommendation to allocate a further $700,000 in infrastructure upgrades to comply with Safework SA requirements.

This is in addition to the $180,000 allocated for this purpose at the October council meeting to meet the demands of Safework SA.

At least seven local residents have indicated they wish to address the council on the fate of the 46-year-old facility.

At press time, two Millicent Business Community Association executives were on the deputation list along with Millicent grazier Sam Croser, saleyards yarding contractors and farmers Gavin and Sandy Bell and Rendelsham farmers Garth and Shirley Huppatz.

The special council meeting agenda runs to 96 pages and includes a lengthy report from council chief executive Ben Gower.

He outlined the financial challenges as annual cattle throughput has fallen from 35,000 to 8300 over the past 20 years.

“Based on (industry) rates, current projections suggest that Wattle Range Council will recover less than $100,000 in yard fees during the 2021 calendar year, whereas the five livestock agents will recover over $770,000 – an average of $154,000 per agent,” Mr Gower said.

“Council provides a range of community services that operate with a financial loss.

“These services are funded either through government grants or subsidies, fees and charges, and/or council rates.

“Services like the Millicent Library, the Gladys Smith Early Learning Centre and the Millicent Swimming Lake service a broad range of community users and their numbers are not declining.

“While the Millicent saleyards benefit a broad range of farmers, it is one of the rare services provided by council that offers a direct and significant financial benefit to a small number of commercial business operators.

“In short, the Millicent saleyards operating deficit of $250,000 is being funded by ratepayers to the financial benefit of five livestock agents.”

Mr Gower also responded to the reported flow-on benefits of fortnightly markets in Millicent.

“Another consideration that has been put forward is that local livestock sales contribute significantly towards the local business economy because farmers spend considerable amounts of money on sale day,” he said.

“While this may have been the case a few decades ago when local retail traders sold jewellery, whitegoods and other more significant retail items, the entire retail market has changed significantly due to market consolidation and the advent of online shopping.

“There is a definite benefit to retail businesses on sale days as farmers come into town for lunch and to buy sundry items, however these economic benefits should not be overstated.”

Tonight’s meeting follows an informal on-site forum a fortnight ago which attracted a gathering of 150 people.

The saleyards forum was addressed by Mr Gower and then he conducted a tour of the facility pointing out the numerous State agency mandated infrastructure upgrades.

The most recent market on Thursday attracted a year-high tally of 730 head of cattle and a return to producers of $1.6m.

The average price per head was almost $2200.

Ahead of tonight’s forum, the Millicent Business Community Association sought feedback from its 100-strong membership base.

The association members were told a submission would only be made to tonight’s meeting if a minimum of 33% of the membership responded to the survey.

Accompanying the MBCA members survey were these remarks:

“A view is that if the saleyards are sold then farmers are less likely to do their extended business in Millicent, as they will use services at either Naracoorte or Mt Gambier,” stated the MBCA members’ survey.

“A privatised facility will bring increased costs to farmers and they could go elsewhere.

“It seems that Wattle Range Council does not support subsidised enterprises that have a financial ‘flow-on’ value effect benefitting the extended community.

“Wattle Range Council sees its role in the provision of key services such as roads, libraries, playgrounds, community halls, common effluent infrastructure, waste management, swimming lakes, boat ramps etc., with the approach to simply keep rates low.

“Subsidised enterprises can benefit the extended community.”