Livestock Marketing Centre Upgrade

Council continues to improve and upgrade the LMC facilities.

The current works are among a range of initiatives identified in the LMC’s Strategic Master Plan (PDF, 2.0 MB), adopted by Council in 2016, to help future-proof the facility. The Master Plan describes the LMC as “one of the best sheep selling facilities in Australia and the most efficient circular selling facilities for cattle.”

Sheep Yard Extension: Construction of new sheep drafts, stacking and delivery pens and the installation of drainage, ramps and shade sails. The works will increase the sheep selling facility by 20 per cent.

Cattle Fan Draft: Construction of a new fan draft system to accumulate the cattle into buyer lots and the installation of crush and weighing facilities. The works will increase efficiency of the cattle movement and reduce horse work which will improve safety at the Centre.

In the 2018/19 selling year the LMC sold more than $430 million worth of stock, which was about 1.95 million sheep and 179,000 cattle. The LMC also provides an estimated $32.6 million in gross regional product to the local economy and supports more than 200 jobs, through direct and flow-on effects.

Watch a flyover video and animation of the Livestock Marketing Centre below to see what and where changes were made during the $3M upgrade 2017/18.

2017/18 Upgrade Information

In 2017 and 2018 the Centre underwent major upgrades that increased livestock capacity numbers and improved safety at the facility.

The works at the Bomen-based LMC, totaling $2.7 million, included:

• Expansion of the existing cattle yards – this will increase the hold capacity from 2700 cattle to 5500, and, addresses both a current capacity shortfall and caters for projected growth
• Relocation of existing calf pens – to make way for the larger cattle yards, the existing pens will be moved and a roofed area will be built providing a more versatile area for calf selling
• New elevated pedestrian walkway – the walkway will be built over the cattle yards, improving public safety to the cattle selling arena, canteen area and amenities
• Additional safety mechanisms installed in cattle selling ring for staff use
• Construction of a new amenities block and car park to separate heavy and light vehicle traffic.

Project Diary

August 2018

• The new car park is open, with signage and an automatic gate installed.
• New cattle yard lighting is complete

July 2018

• Modifications to the cattle selling arena have been completed, including the installation of pneumatic gates and new raised walkways, which separate stock handlers from the cattle
• Drainage works, kerb and guttering, asphalting and line marking have been completed for the new car park.
• New footpaths, toilet block slab and the new toilet block erected and fitted out.
• Car park lighting has been installed, along with new gates and fencing.
• Works have commenced on the installation of additional lighting for the new cattle yards.

March 2018

• A new six-way pneumatic cattle draft and extra 180 stack pens are fully operational
• The cattle draft and extra stack pens were tested with the assistance of Delta Agriculture Wagga Wagga Livestock’s Manager Aaron Mackey, and the trials were a resounding success

November 2017

• New undercover calf/store cattle shed is the first stage of the $3 million expansion project at the LMC to be complete and in use. The shed features 88 new pens and nine holding yards at the rear. There are two raised walkways for buyers and three auctioneer walkways overlooking the pens. There are also lanes between each row of pens for the stock to easily move through the facility
• Works progress on elevated pedestrian walkway being built above new cattle yards. The walkway improves access and safety into the cattle selling ring, canteen area and amenities
• Completion of new internal road for improved traffic flow at the eastern end of the facility

October 2017

• Design for raised cattle arena complete and components of walkway ready for installation
• Designs for modifications to cattle selling arena complete

September 2017

• Work on calf/store cattle shed and northern yards, along with the raised northern walkway complete
• Old calf shed and yards demolished in preparation for new pens to be installed
• Majority of stack pens constructed and works started on draft area and crush and new under/over ramp soon to be installed

August 2017

• Works on raised auctioneers walkways in the calf/store cattle shed progressing well
• Installation of new cattle holding pens at northern end of calf/store cattle shed has started, along with raised walkway over these yards
• Work continuing on installation of water troughs in calf/store cattle pens
• Concreting works continuing on reclaimed road, with guttering at either end of this area installed
• Excavation work continuing on new access road for service vehicles
• Preliminary designs of the new raised public walkway leading to cattle arena have been presented to Council

July 2017

Stage 1 (calf shed area)

• The calf shed has been erected, with skylights, air vents, guttering and lighting installed
• The steel cattle yards are being measured out, with panels & gates being installed under the calf shed
• Walkways for the general public are being constructed, concrete flooring on the walkways started last week
• Work will also start on the construction of the auctioneer’s walkways under the calf shed next week
• Plumbing/drainage works are on-going

Stage 2 (receival yards, stack pens and delivery yards)

• Stamped concreting works at the southern end of the reclaimed road are nearing completion (for receival yards and stack pens)
• Plumbing/ Drainage works are continuing
• Earthworks are on-going at the northern end of the reclaimed road (in the delivery yards area)
• Preliminary work has started on the new access road leading into the main building

June 2017 - Frame for undercover calf shed in the south-western corner of the site complete. Work started on removing the roadway on the eastern side of the cattle area to make way for the pneumatic draft receival yards, cattle stack pens and delivery yards.

Council approves $600,000 worth of works to construct a new internal road at the facility. The new 400-metre length of road will be built along the LMC’s eastern boundary. This will replace the existing road, which will be used to build new sheep pens at the facility in the future. It is expected this expansion will increase the sheep hold capacity by up to 20 per cent. The new internal road works coincide with the current expansion works as well as with works being undertaken on the new LMC heavy vehicle access point in the north-eastern corner, associated with the Bomen Enabling Roads project.
Read more via the media release.

May 2017 - Construction of undercover calf shed underway.

April 2017 - Development application approved. Temporary fencing erected and some materials, including pre-fabricated calf shed, delivered to site.

Februray 2017 - Designs and drawings refinded and design review meetings held.

January 2017 - Civil and structural design work start and development application for works lodged

December 2016 - The Council endorses construction of cattle yards and pen extensions at Livestock Marketing Centre totalling $2.7M. Contract for works awarded to Proway Livestock Equipment Pty Ltd.

The Livestock Marketing Centre upgrade is a project of Wagga Wagga City Council.

Sheep yard upgrade

Flyover Animation

Walkway Animation

LMC's new calf shed in action on sale day

"Beat you by a whisker!" ... See the new calf/store cattle shed at the Livestock Marketing Centre in full swing on a sale day. The new shed is part of a $3M expansion project at the centre and improves space and conditions for both people and livestock.