Hon Bruce Donaldson asks about the sale of Midland saleyards and the allocation of proceeds. Hon Kim Chance confirms the sale of a portion of land for approximately $69 million net, with proceeds earmarked for Muchea and regional saleyard upgrades, but open to further discussion.

AnsweredQoN 1048Legislative Council
Asked
13 November 2007
Portfolio
Agriculture and Food

QuestionView source ↗

MIDLAND SALEYARDS
(1) Have the Midland saleyards been sold? (2) If so, was the sale price $72 million? (3) Will the total proceeds be utilised at Muchea and selected country saleyard upgrades? Hon KIM CHANCE

AnswerView source ↗

(1) It depends what we call the Midland saleyards. If we are talking about the footprint of the saleyards itself, the answer is no. Taking part (2) of the question to be reflective of the intent of the question, the answer is yes. Yesterday a sale was concluded for a portion of lot 402, which is otherwise referred to as the Hazelmere block, being an area of some 33 hectares. (2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
(2) If so, was the sale price $72 million? (3) Will the total proceeds be utilised at Muchea and selected country saleyard upgrades? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) It depends what we call the Midland saleyards. If we are talking about the footprint of the saleyards itself, the answer is no. Taking part (2) of the question to be reflective of the intent of the question, the answer is yes. Yesterday a sale was concluded for a portion of lot 402, which is otherwise referred to as the Hazelmere block, being an area of some 33 hectares. (2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
(3) Will the total proceeds be utilised at Muchea and selected country saleyard upgrades? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) It depends what we call the Midland saleyards. If we are talking about the footprint of the saleyards itself, the answer is no. Taking part (2) of the question to be reflective of the intent of the question, the answer is yes. Yesterday a sale was concluded for a portion of lot 402, which is otherwise referred to as the Hazelmere block, being an area of some 33 hectares. (2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: (1) It depends what we call the Midland saleyards. If we are talking about the footprint of the saleyards itself, the answer is no. Taking part (2) of the question to be reflective of the intent of the question, the answer is yes. Yesterday a sale was concluded for a portion of lot 402, which is otherwise referred to as the Hazelmere block, being an area of some 33 hectares. (2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
(1) It depends what we call the Midland saleyards. If we are talking about the footprint of the saleyards itself, the answer is no. Taking part (2) of the question to be reflective of the intent of the question, the answer is yes. Yesterday a sale was concluded for a portion of lot 402, which is otherwise referred to as the Hazelmere block, being an area of some 33 hectares. (2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
(2) It was sold for a gross figure I think of $70 million, a net figure of a little over $69 million. It is for that portion of lot 402. That became public information late yesterday afternoon, although I note it was unpublished, and that is interesting given the interest that has been shown in the sale. (3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
(3) I need to understand carefully the third question. If I have not captured the essence of the member’s question, he should please tell me. A decision has already been made by government to fund all the construction costs at Muchea from the revenue achieved by the sale of that land. The government has also made a decision to contribute to three saleyards in regional Western Australia. At the time that decision was made, it was on the assumption that the net revenue from the sale of the number of blocks of land that are controlled by the Western Australian Meat Industry Authority - generically referred to as the Midland land but are in fact Midland-Hazelmere - would be substantially lower than we now know it will be. That leaves decisions open to government, and I expect to be speaking to the Treasurer about those decisions. The honourable member would also be aware that I have been approached by a group of stakeholders in the livestock industry, headed by the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, but including most of the key stakeholders, to go a stage further than the government had announced and in fact take over the regional saleyards under a single ownership and management body. That would include Muchea, Katanning and Plantagenet, and the new south west saleyard - the centralised south west saleyard facility - which is sometimes referred to as the Kemerton site; and although Kemerton has not been actually chosen, it would be a good site. That is a matter that is open to discussion by government. Now that I am aware in more detail of the price that is likely to be received for the sale of all of the land - we now have a reasonably good figure - I will need to discuss that matter further with the Treasurer. I hope that the honourable member would wish me luck in that. Hon Bruce Donaldson : So the delay has actually been a financial windfall? Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!
Hon KIM CHANCE : Yes, spectacularly so!

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more