IT has become faster and safer for truck drivers to load and unload cattle at the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange after three new ramps were installed.
In the past three years, nearly $6 million was spent on infrastructure to turn the 40-year-old saleyards into a modern facility with a new weighbridge, waste water treatment plant, and roof over the cattleyards.
The latest project comprising three two-deck cattle ramps plus lead up pens and forcing yards attached to the south-west corner became operational earlier this month.
It has been partly funded through a $225,000 grant from the Australian Government's Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program.
The money came from a special $10m allocation in 2014, made available to enhance truck driver safety at saleyards, with council contributing the remaining $261,000.
The Naracoorte Lucindale Council, owners of the exchange, put in a joint application with the District Council of Grant who received $359,275 for the Mount Gambier yards.
NLC director of operations Steve Bourne said Ballarat-based company Kattle Gear, Vic, was successful in the tender to manufacture and install the ramps and forcing pens.
"The ramp designs in the tender were quite similar but we went with Kattle Gear because of their good construction, and for their efficiency of design maximising the space available," he said.
"We were constrained by the existing footprint of the shed and weighbridge so we had looked at how we would get animals efficiently to the yards at the back and use the lead up pens as multi-use pens for selling too."
The pens, which lead into a curved raceway, can hold the equivalent of a B-double pen.
The gate can be operated from the walkway along the side. The 12 metre-long ramps ensure a gentle slope and the electronic winch easily adjusts its height.
Mr Bourne said it was about minimising human-animal interaction to improve safety, and promoting good animal welfare.
They had plenty of positive feedback.
"After the weaner sale last week all three ramps were being used and the trucks were getting loaded and away quickly," Mr Bourne said.
"It is better for everyone - for the yard staff, the drivers and the cattle."
He said that in the past year, $135m worth of livestock had been sold in the Naracoorte exchange through 84 sales.
"We were really pleased with cattle numbers before Christmas and thought they may have emptied out, but with the increase in prices the numbers are still coming through, and from far afield," Mr Bourne said.
"This enables council to progress projects more quickly - the more cattle we can attract, the more we can put back into improving the yards."
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
