From Sheep Central – 13 October 2024

A NEW national saleyards organisation has been formed after lengthy negotiations between the sector’s two main representative bodies.

The Australian Livestock Saleyards Association this morning announced that its member saleyards and those of the Australian Livestock Marketing Association have transferred their membership to the new national Saleyards Australia Pty Ltd organisation.

ALSA will cease trading from 17 October 2024 under changes that have resulted from extensive talks between ALSA and ALMA since late 2023.

Outgoing ALSA president Gerald Leach said the move is a significant change to saleyard representation, with the new Saleyards Australia finally achieving full national representation.

“The closure of ALSA represents the end of an era for this organization which has proudly represented southern saleyards for almost 50 years, but reflected ongoing industry structural changes and the need for a combined national voice,” he said.

ALSA started operations as the Municipal Saleyards Association of Victoria before changing to The Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria and finally as The Australian Livestock Saleyards Association in 2016. During this time, it has provided membership services to the saleyard sector across Victoria, southern NSW and South Australia. In recent years ALSA has been actively involved in a range of industry innovations including the successful introduction of Sheep EID in Victoria and the trialling of eNVDs, the ALSA statement said.

Outgoing ALSA executive officer Mark McDonald said during its operations ALSA has built up a strong network of industry and government relationships and these are expected to continue in support of the southern saleyard membership base.

“We are looking forward to working as one membership which will strengthen our member’s voices and the advocacy work that is taken to represent them,” Mr Leach said.

ALMA’s Immediate past president Ken Rogers welcomed the amalgamation of the two bodies.

“I think it’s great, it’s been a long time coming,” he said.

“We’ve been working on it for ages.”

Mr Rogers said the changing of structure of ALMA as an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee under the Saleyards Australia title, bringing the new body under federal legislation as a national body.

New national livestock saleyards association formed – Sheep Central