HORSHAM Regional Livestock Exchange manager Paul Christopher has welcomed a new western Victorian saleyard at Mortlake.
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Construction of the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange at Mortlake is underway, with major earthworks starting earlier this month.
Mr Christopher said the new saleyard would mostly deal with cattle sales, meaning it would have very little effect on the Horsham exchange.
“Our cattle sales are minimal as it is,” he said.
“There might be some cattle from the region go down there, but mostly people go to Naracoorte or Pakenham.
“We mostly have sheep and lambs, so this is going to have a very small impact on us.”
Mr Christopher said it was good to see money going into saleyards across the state.
The Western Victoria Livestock Exchange is expected to open in January.
Exchange director Rohan Arnold said the roofed yards would be a little less than 30,000 square metres.
He said it would be bigger than the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Mr Arnold said the yards would be in the largest half dozen in the country that were under a roof.
He said animal welfare was the primary priority in the saleyards’ design, so all livestock would be on soft floors. The project will cost $16 million.