Just 68 head of cattle changed hands at the last Millicent market with Wattle Range Council now sending a strong signal that it will close the 48-year-old saleyards.
The local community will now be invited to participate in an online survey and asked to assist council in its deliberations with regard to closing the Millicent saleyards.
The $1m upgrade of the ageing facility has again been put on hold with no date set for resumption of the government-mandated works.
It had been halted for two months at the January monthly meeting and was scheduled to be reviewed at the March monthly meeting in Millicent on Tuesday night.
Since the beginning of the year, cattle throughput has plummeted compared to 2022 figures while the new Millicent Saleyards Advisory Committee has met for the first time and requested a survey of primary producers.
As a result, Councillor Dale Price submitted a number of notices of motion to Tuesday’s council meeting.
Following around 50 minutes of debate, his motions were modified and accepted unanimously by the chamber.
Cr Price said Wattle Range Council was unable to undertake some projects due to the funds needed to operate the Millicent saleyards.
He said the local farming community had moved on and were making choices other than the Millicent saleyards in order to keep their businesses viable.
“They can sell online, send their cattle to bigger markets or sell direct to abattoirs,” Cr Price said.
“It is not viable for us to continue to operate the yards.”
Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Dunnicliff said council had set the cattle throughput benchmark a few years ago and it had not been achieved.
Mayor Des Noll urged councillors to make a “business decision” rather than an “emotional decision” about the facility.
Cr Dennis Muhovics sits on the Millicent Saleyards Advisory Committee and believes the situation is not recoverable.
“The stock agents have told us the farmers will not use the saleyards,” he said.
Cr David Walshaw also referred to the plummeting numbers as grounds for closure and invoked the memory of the skipper of the ill-fated Titanic ocean liner.
“No one wants to be the Captain Smith of Millicent,” he said.
In other council meeting news, Cr Emma Castine has resumed her place as a Riddoch Ward representative after being disqualified last month over her 2022 returns.
New legislation passed last week corrected an administrative hiccup and allowed Cr Castine and 45 other councillors and mayors across South Australia to return to office.
The meeting heard from a three-person delegation from the Millicent and Surrounds Health Support Group which is seeking $6000 from council as part of an ambitious project to upgrade the accommodation for student nurses at Millicent Hospital.
Council chief executive Ben Gower submitted an apology to the meeting but his recommendation and report was accepted about a possible walking/cycling trail along the former rail corridor between Millicent and Tantanoola.
Council will not pursue access to the corridor for this purpose at this time due to “red tape” involving government departments, the Millicent rail lands now being in private hands and access and maintenance issues.
The meeting also heard that one of the new owners of a portion of the rail lands intends to submit a development application with a view to creating a residential development.
There were three matters listed for consideration in closed session including the future of the Beachport medical clinic.
