In the draft management plan still posted on council’s website yesterday, the council has proposed an increase of 17.5 per cent across various categories.

This includes rises in yard dues of 25 per cent per head for sheep and 14 per cent for prime and store cattle; 11 per cent for weighing pens of sheep, and 25 per cent for sheep using using holding paddocks after sales.

Agents say the costs will jeopardise the advantage of selling in the Glen Innes yards over facilities in other centres, or by-passing the saleyard system completely, by either direct to a processor or paddock sales to restockers.

“Glen Innes saleyards has managed to increase its input, albeit only slightly, by staying competitive. Agents have worked with council to create a user-friendly facility, whereas some at other centres such as Guyra, Quirindi and Warialda, have died,” said agent Stuart Bell of Colin Say and Co (pictured above at Tuesday’s sheep sale).

“We don’t want to see the $25million turned through this facility annually, go elsewhere.”

He said talk of a possible ‘super’ yards in the north, similar to the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange at Carcoar, only made it more important for the Glen Innes facility to thrive.

“If that happened, Glen Innes would be the ideal place because we are on the junction of two highways. But for us to be considered, we have to be still operating a viable saleyards.”

“I appreciate that council is trying to manage its finances responsibly, but I just don’t think it is a good business decision for council to propose charges by an average of 17.5 per cent in the current climate. Fertiliser prices have doubled in the past year, fuel’s up more than 20 per cent, and there have been several consecutive interest rate rises. This just isn’t fair on producers,” he said.

In response to questions from the Examiner, council’s director of corporate and community services Lotta Jackson provided amended saleyards charges averaging a 10 per cent rise, which she said would be considered at today’s council meeting. However she did not answer questions as to when the revisions were made, or if they had been done in response to a submission from the Agents Association opposing the initial planned charges.

Late yesterday Mr Bell said agents had not been made aware of the amendments, “but we would still consider anything above the CPI as being unreasonable”.