The Macleay's cattle farmers can be assured of continued operations at Kempsey Regional Saleyards, as construction work gets moving on the upgrade to this vital facility.
Kempsey Shire Council expects the contractor to start work onsite in early November.
Stage One activities including construction of a temporary selling ring, demolition, the new selling ring, new grandstand, and associated laneways.
The major infrastructure upgrade at the Saleyards will ensure the facility's future as a competitive regional saleyard for the area. Kempsey Regional Saleyards will be the premier selling facility for cattle on the Mid North Coast.
Ben Lee, Kempsey Shire Council Senior Project Manager, confirmed that all efforts will be made to maintain business as usual arrangements for the saleyards during the upgrade.
"Some temporary arrangements will be necessary to deliver the major upgrade, and we continue to work with the Contractor and Lessee on a staged delivery to ensure Livestock Sales are undertaken effectively and with little-to-no disruption," Mr Lee explained.
"Saleyard users will continue to enjoy full use of the facility and should look forward to the improvements when the project is completed.
"We anticipate the Construction Certificate, which is the final stage of the design phase, will be issued within the next few days, with works starting soon after."
In 2023, Council staff applied for and were successful in obtaining an additional $3,090,094 from the Australian and NSW Government's Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. This extra funding will help deliver the full scope of the project following impacts from inflation, supply chain issues and labour shortages.
In addition to its pivotal role in trade and local economy, the Saleyards act as a key cattle evacuation location during natural disasters. For this reason, Council was initially granted $9,421,095 under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. Funding of this project is a direct result of the 2019 Bushfire Event.
The upgrade will provide an improved facility to benefit all saleyard users. The upgrade includes a new roof over in-bound and out-bound yards, new grandstand, new kiosk, new amenities, agents' offices, improved yard-flow, improved animal welfare, landscaping, paving and hardstand areas.
Work began on the upgrade on 2 May 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. To keep up to date on the project's progress, visit the project page on our website: ksc.pub/krs-upgrade
