❓ Hon. Bruce Donaldson asks about financial assistance for a pig livestock centre after the Midland complex closure. Hon. Kim Chance responds negatively, citing lack of agent interest and declining auction demand, but acknowledges the issue and ongoing efforts to find a solution.
AnsweredQoN 110Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PIG LIVESTOCK CENTRE - ESTABLISHMENT
I refer to the establishment of a new livestock sales complex at Muchea, and the closure of the existing Midland complex. (1) Has the government given any consideration to assisting financially in establishing a pig livestock centre at Muchea or Linley Valley, given that next week the last of the pig auctions will be held at Midland? (2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE
I refer to the establishment of a new livestock sales complex at Muchea, and the closure of the existing Midland complex. (1) Has the government given any consideration to assisting financially in establishing a pig livestock centre at Muchea or Linley Valley, given that next week the last of the pig auctions will be held at Midland? (2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(1) Has the government given any consideration to assisting financially in establishing a pig livestock centre at Muchea or Linley Valley, given that next week the last of the pig auctions will be held at Midland? (2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(1) Has the government given any consideration to assisting financially in establishing a pig livestock centre at Muchea or Linley Valley, given that next week the last of the pig auctions will be held at Midland? (2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(2) Although the majority of pigs are now sold by weight and grade, how will the existing throughput of pigs by auction - namely, choppers, slips and weaners - be catered for? At present, this represents between 350 and 500 head a week. Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
(1)-(2) The short answer to part (1) is no. That matter was fairly clearly explained when I first announced to the house the decision to proceed with the Muchea livestock facility. There are a number of reasons, which I need not go into now, that pigs will not be catered for at Muchea. They are manifold, but they include the fact that the livestock agents indicated to the government that they did not want a facility at Muchea in the new complex because not enough pigs were being sold through the auction system. As Hon Bruce Donaldson has indicated in his question, the livestock selling agents have announced that they will discontinue their sales at Midland, even though the facility for the sales remains open for the time being. I wrote to the two main members of the Western Australian livestock salesmen’s association, asking them to reconsider their decision, at least until the end of the calendar year, to give us a little time to see whether we could use another facility. The answer I have received so far is a pretty emphatic no. Their advice to me is twofold: first, the facility is not sufficiently safe to carry on sales, and I understand that; and, secondly, the demand for a live-auction facility for pigs is declining and, indeed, is now below 200 head a week. Given that individual producers are supplying more than 2 000 head a week into the weight and grade system - that is, the non-auction, or direct supply, system - that indicates that there is very little demand. Nonetheless, the facility is of significance to a number of mostly smaller metropolitan pig producers, although two quite large producers were using it; that is, the Cunderdin and, I think, Morawa campuses of the Western Australian College of Agriculture, which have been consistently high achievers. There is an issue there. We are trying to resolve the issue. It will not be resolved, however, by Muchea. No pigs will be sold at Muchea. Hon Bruce Donaldson : Linley Valley is an opportunity. Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
Hon KIM CHANCE : Linley Valley is an opportunity, but not one that is favoured by the pig producers. The pig producers are represented in the main by the West Australian Pork Producers’ Association. For the past number of years it has always opposed the live-auction facility. It wanted it closed because there are biosecurity threats as well. However, the stud pig producers are very keen for a continuation, and I met with them recently. I am still trying to find a location. The difficulty may be finding an agent who will conduct the sales, because at fewer than 200 head a week, there is not a lot of money in the commissions. That is about as far as I can go with the answer to the member’s question about pigs. I am still waiting for somebody to ask me a question about goats.
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