By Corey Everitt
Even though it is the slow winter period, Pakenham’s Victorian Livestock Exchange (VLE) was chock-a-block with farmers gathering to see off the saleyards on its last day.
Thursday 27 June was the last day of sales for the VLE within Pakenham, after 25 years of operation.
Many watched auctioneers do their last rounds of the facility, not just in anticipation of their own cattle but just to see the saleyards off on its final day among friends.
VLE managing director Brian Paynter said hopes were high in the final hours as the transition to Leongatha was around the corner.
“We are feeling good, prices are good, and there are lots of agents and farmers here today,” he said.
“It’s a good thing, good for the industry.”
VLE announced the closure of the Pakenham saleyard in November 2023, stating that increasing tax and council rates on the industrial zoned land made the location ‘financially unsustainable’.
They said if the saleyard continued, the burden would have seen substantial increases in yard dues.
VLE will now move the company solely to their Leongatha saleyards, Paynter said the shift is moving with the times.
“We are looking forward to the change, Leongatha will become the largest regional cattle centre in the State,” he said.
“There is a shift toward big selling centres, it’s what the industry is looking toward and we are moving with that.
“We will face challenges for a little while, but we are working closely with the agents and producers.”
Many of titular livestock agencies such as Alex Scott & Staff and Elders conducted their final auctions along the narrow walkways.
Many have already begun the transition with Elders already established at Leongatha, while others like Everitt Seeley & Bennetts have begun selling there for the last month.
“We are in a fortunate position to be already established at Leongatha, but it will take some getting used to,” Elders Delaney Livestock & Property director Anthony Delaney said.
“All our clients are prepared for the change, the main part will just be the logistical challenge.
“It will have a larger effect, it is one of the largest saleyards and a real barometer for the State.”
Though to see it close is ‘disappointing’ for Michael Everitt of Everitt Seeley & Bennetts, he said it won’t change much at the point of sale.
“We are disappointed it is closing, it’s a great facility, the infrastructure is as good as it was 25 years ago,” he said.
“Selling-wise it won’t make much of a difference, we have to go to Leongatha, it is the only alternative.”
During the process, a key concern was the issue of cartage, as the cost of transport would increase for many producers in areas such as Mornington Peninsula or the Yarra Valley.
While many are solely focusing on the transition to Leongatha, others are more critical of the VLE’s choice to close the last saleyard in metropolitan Melbourne.
Director at Alex Scott & Staff, Greg Price – who is also chairman of a consortium proposing a rival saleyard in Longwarry – said this was a ‘sad day’ for farmers.
“It’s a case of a company cashing in on the land value while farmers will lose this much needed facility,” he said.
“I’ve seen Warragul and now Pakenham close, both owned by the same company, even though they were very well supported facilities.
“With the change it leaves the only option as Leongatha, which will only put an increased cost on producers.
“It’s a sad day, very bad for farmers in West Gippsland, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula.”
