Property adjoining proposed saleyards site sold

The sale of a property adjoining the proposed new Longwarry saleyards looks set to seal the deal for the $13 million development.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal appeal is likely to be withdrawn.

Details of the sale are subject to a confidentiality agreement, but the sale was confirmed on Friday.

Longwarry Saleyards Pty Ltd director and chairman Greg Price said the consortium had been told the property adjacent to the proposed saleyards, owned by Ben and Melissa McCoy, had been sold.

Mr Price said the consortium was not involved in negotiations for the sale and the person who purchased the property was not a shareholder of Longwarry Saleyards.

“The person who has bought it is not a shareholder and is a long-time supporter of the yards,” he said.

Ms McCoy was unable to comment because of the confidentiality agreement.

Mr Price said Longwarry Saleyards had appointed a lawyer to represent it through the VCAT process and they were recently informed the “objection was expected to be withdrawn.”

“I don’t want to pre-empt anything because planning matters are complicated.

“But, we will be delighted if the appeal is withdrawn and the board and shareholders would be delighted if we could be issued with a permit.

“I don’t want to count any chickens before they hatch though,” Mr Price said on Friday.

Local farmer and businessman Jim Abrecht welcomed the sale news.

Mr Abrecht has been a strong advocate for retaining a saleyards facility in Baw Baw, which he has constantly described as vital for the local economy.

Since Warragul’s closure he has banged on numerous doors at council, state and federal level.

He said the purchase of the property by people “with no direct association with farming” showed how vital the saleyards complex is to the shire.

“It is quite simple there needs to be yards in Baw Baw Shire,” he said.

Council has not received notification the appeal has been withdrawn.

Mr Price the Victorian Livestock Exchange’s announcement in 2019 that it would close the Warragul saleyards was a “shock.”

“We thought we had more time there.  We are keen to get these yards up and running so the district can have a secure place to market their livestock,” he said.

Longwarry Saleyards purchased a 23-hectare property with frontage to Thornell and Sand Rds in 2019.

The consortium includes livestock agents Alex Scott and Staff and Everitt, Seeley and Bennetts, as well as local farmers and businesspeople.

Baw Baw Shire and the Environment Protection Authority ticked off their approvals processes in October last year.

However, the McCoys led an objectors’ driven appeal at VCAT.  A directions hearing at VCAT was scheduled for later this month with a lengthy hearing booked in for August.

The McCoy property shares two boundary fences with the proposed saleyards site.

In a submission to council last year, the McCoys said the development affected them, 11 other family homes and the greater Longwarry community.

“There simply is not enough room to separate the devastating impacts such as an offensive industrial development would have on our family homes, our health, our water, our current living conditions – the list is endless,” they told council.

When the development received planning approval, Longwarry Saleyards spokesperson Neil Darby said they expected it would be a 12 to 15 month building process once final approvals were granted.