VISITORS will get a ‘sneak preview’ of the new South Eastern Livestock Exchange (SELX) yards on the NSW southern tablelands – Australia’s newest livestock selling centre – before the yards officially open for business in August.

Located at the intersection of seven highways and arterial roads just off the Hume Highway near Yass, SELX will open to the public on Sunday, 3 July from 10am.

The new facility has the capacity to sell 3800 cattle and 30,000 sheep a day, providing a major new aggregation-point across the important livestock region.

Subject to the impact of weather on the final stages of completion, first sales are expected to commence around mid-August.

Already 11 stock agents from about a 300km radius, outlined by Gundagai, Booroowa, Goulburn and Mossvale, have committed to selling through the centre.

Nearest major saleyards are Forbes (217km away), Carcoar (190km) and Wagga (200km), further west.

Yass’s new SELX livestock marketing facility during constructioin phase

The SELX Open Day will give stakeholders the opportunity to tour the facility, understand and learn more about the industry, SELX manager, Rod Bourlet said. The day will also act as a fundraiser for Yass Early Childhood Centre and the BeyondBlue charity.

Construction of the world-class $15 million, 14 hectare regional livestock selling centre started last September. Extensive research into the design and functionality of the yards has achieved a world-class facility focused on animal safety and wellbeing, environmental sustainability and workplace health and safety.

“It is exciting to see the project come to fruition and with our doors nearly open for selling, the wait is almost over,” said Col Medway, one of six local investors backing the enterprise.

“I don’t think we comprehend the enormous benefits this complex will have, not only on the town of Yass, but on the region’s farmers looking to cut costs on transporting their stock to sale.”

With the closure of many smaller country town saleyards, primary producers in the region have had to absorb the additional cost of transporting their stock to larger more distant selling centres like Carcoar and Wagga Wagga.

SELX Open Day:

When: Sunday, 3 July 2016 – 10am-2pm

Where: 1623 Yass Valley Way YASS NSW

More information: www.selxnsw.com.au

Source: SELX