The Charters Towers Regional Council has engaged consultants to continue with the development of an evidence-based business case and masterplan to guide future investment at its Dalrymple Saleyards.
The AEC Group and StruXi Design will review work previously undertaken and, after an onsite assessment and engagement with stakeholders, prepare a masterplan with a strategy for implementation.
Representatives were planning to be at the saleyards on Wednesday, March 22, to view operations and engage with stakeholders to better understand the challenges facing users and opportunities surrounding the saleyards, and to hear ideas.
Mayor Frank Beveridge said the project would bring many benefits to the region, including positioning the council to capitalise on opportunities such as the state government's Queensland Beef Processing Strategy 2019-2022, which aims to support the growth of the state's beef processing industry.
"The saleyards are a vital link in the beef processing chain across northern Queensland for cattle sales and live export," he said. "Our goal is to ensure investment in this facility aligns with stakeholder priorities, facilitates growth, and creates a future-fit saleyards.
He said its redevelopment would not only grow capacity and capability to meet industry demands, but council was keen for it to also address numerous issues such as aging infrastructure.
The council hopes to incorporate energy efficient, environmentally friendly practices, and innovative initiatives into the plans to create long term savings, protection of the environment, animal welfare, operational safety, and to facilitate sustainable reuse of resources.
"We firmly believe that by investing in this facility, we can deliver additional economic stimulus to the region, improved animal welfare and user safety, just to name a few of the positive outcomes" Cr Beveridge reiterated.
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