Plans are being beefed up for the Mount Gambier & District Saleyards with $5.7m of the $11m dollar build guaranteed by the State Government and Grant District Council.

The project will include 30 new selling pens, roofing, and soft flooring as well as a reconfiguration of the existing selling pens.

The Combined Agents hope to receive the additional funding from the Building Better Regions Fund 06 they have applied for, which will be announced in October.

Combined Agents chairman Andrew Whan said the upgrade was well overdue after 40 years of the existing structure.

“This facility served us well, but we are ready for the next generational change, and we want to be in front in front of the curve instead of struggling to catch up,” he said.

“No matter where the cattle are going, we want to be able to present them to our clients in the best condition possible.

“We would like buyers to purchase these cattle in confidence, knowing they will arrive in the same condition they were when they walked out of the pens.

“The farmers have done such an amazing job getting their cattle to top of the industry standard, so we want to reward that hard work by giving them a state-of-the-art facility to be able to present their livestock.”

Mr Whan said the proposed upgrade will boost the region’s economy.

“This area is the base for an income stream to flow into the region,” he said.

“When farmers come to the saleyards they get their car serviced and buy groceries etc, so they are bringing money into the town.

“We want locals to know what we are up to, where we where we want to take this, how excited we are about it and what we are looking to achieve.

“The Grant District Council and saleyard manager David Wallace have been doing an excellent job behind the scenes to get this project fast tracked and we cannot wait to show the community the next step as it happens.”