Wattle Range Council has again voted to suspend upgrading work on its former Millicent saleyards.
It has to spend up to $200,000 on items such as a loading ramp in order to meet Safework SA requirements for it to operate as a stock transfer facility.
Council chief executive Ben Gower told the October meeting that no paperwork had been submitted but the amount of excrement indicated as few as a dozen head of cattle had passed though the facility in the past three months since sales ceased.
This prompted Deputy Mayor Councillor Peter Dunnicliff to move a motion to suspend further work until February in order for its audit and risk committee to ascertain usage and operation of the transit yards.
His motion also authorised Mr Gower to facilitate the administrative processes associated with transferring stock within the facility and for council to proceed with the upgrades to the truck wash, as proposed.
A lengthy and tense debate followed with Cr Dunnicliff stating that council had not received any income from the operation of the transit yards.
Cr David Walshaw said council should not be making policies based on the amount of faecal matter left in the yards.
He suggested council undertake a cost/benefit analysis to see if the expenditure could be justified.
In response to a query from Cr Moira Neagle, Mr Gower said the $200,000 figure included the loading ramp which could be sold by his council.
Cr Neagle said the community wanted the truck wash and transit yards to remain and queried if council was listening to them.
Mayor Des Noll said only a small section of the community felt this way.
Cr John Drew said council had a responsibility to the community and Cr Dunnicliff’s motion bought time.
Cr Dunnicliff’’s motion was passed six votes to five and then Cr Neagle called for a division which confirmed the vote by show of hands.
Voting in the affirmative were Crs Dunnicliff, Walshaw, Drew, Dale Price, Richard Cassidy and Chris Brodie.
Voting in the negative were Crs Neagle, Dennis Muhovics, Sharon Cox, Emma Castine and Deb Agnew.
Earlier in the meeting, council had considered a motion-on-notice from Cr Neagle for a change from an individual fee to transit stock through the Millicent Saleyards to an annual fee of $500 to be paid by all four stock agent firms.
According to Cr Neagle, there was support from the four stock agent firms for such a flat fee.
However, Mayor Noll said there was no formal recommendation for a flat fee from the saleyards advisory committee while Cr Walshaw said council needed to have such a recommendation.
Cr Brodie said he regarded the $2000 total annual fee was a token fee and an insult.
Cr Price said the Millicent complex was a multi-million-dollar facility which was not receiving much use.
He advocated a greater use of private yards and for the agents to arrange multiple pick-ups.
Cr Agnew brought a philosophical angle to the debate.
“Why are we having this debate?” asked Cr Agnew.
“This is about trust.”
At this point, Cr Neagle withdrew her motion-on-notice.
