Facilities
Currently, the facility yards over 65,000 head annually through the sale system and private weighs. It is an MSA accredited facility and complies with all Worksafe and Animal Welfare regulations.
The Saleyards is an essential part of the cattle industry in Western Australia providing not only excellent facilities, but also opportunities for value adding and additional products.
The Shire of Plantagenet aims to develop, market and maintain a ‘State of the Art’ and self supporting cattle sale yard for the beef industry in the Great Southern and surrounding areas. It will provide complementary services to key stakeholders and provide a central location and comprehensive service for the rural sector.
Soft Floor Matting
In 2012 Shire of Plantagenet made a commitment to improving the welfare of animals housed at the sale yards and undertook the purchase of 700 Surefoot Soft floor mats. These mats were then put in all receival ramps, around the two paint boxes, and in a portion of the selling pens.
In 2013 an additional 700 mats were added to cover all the selling pens ensuring the majority of animals passing through our system have access to soft floor.
In 2022 we undertook our first round of replacing worn matting with an additional 350 mats purchased. Laying of these mats finished in June 2023.
Additional Pens
The provision of additional receival yards alongside the bull pens was identified as a priority to improve animal welfare and prevent overcrowding. Stage 1, incorporating six new medium size pens, was opened up for use in March 2013 and those yards have been expanded in 2014. The final stage of expansion was completed in 2022 which gave an additional 3 dirt pens to use for receivals. A lot of good feedback has been received about the new yards, which minimise on double handling of cattle for weighing and increases the speed of drafting, weighing and penning.
It is also helping with getting cattle together for transport away from the yards. Not only does this improve animal welfare, it also improves safety for saleyards staff and others working at the facility.
The Meating Place
The Meating Place has become a hive of activity on sale days offering tasty food such as bacon and egg sandwiches, savoury mince on toast to steak sandwiches and roast beef and gravy rolls. It also stocks a wide range of cool drinks, tea and coffee.
Other features currently available include:
- Administration building
- Surefoot soft floor matting in selling pens
- Receival/selling pens
- Delivery dirt yards
- External paddocks (currently leased)
- Public canteen
- Pump sheds & two 55,000 gallon water catchment tanks
- Two computerised Avdata truck wash facilities
- Two Certified Scales (available for private weighs)
- The latest Aleis scanning equipment
- Effluent treatment systems
- Cattle Crush with head capture
- NLIS tagging system
- Hay feeding available
