Public to have their say on proposed new shelters and wastewater management improvements at Boyanup Saleyards

The public is being asked to have its say on improvements proposed for the Boyanup Saleyards. A public submission period is under way by the Capel Shire Council about plans by the WA Livestock Salesmen’s Association to improve animal welfare and waste management at the Salter Road site. The developments, which will be paid for by the joint venture between Elders and Nutrien, are part of the conditions imposed on the association by the council when it approved a lease renewal signed last year. Roofing will be built over all of the yards and walkways under the proposed plans, with the majority of run-off from the structure to be sent to a storage tank for decontamination before being released as stormwater. Most of the stormwater from the roofing will managed separately from wastewater created through saleyard wash-downs, which will be pumped to a sedimentation system. The Boyanup Saleyards have been operating since 1961 and have come under fire in recent years, with critics describing the facilities are having “reached its use-by date”. WALSA were originally required by the Shire of Capel to erect a shade sail or roofing over all pens by last summer after complaints of alleged incidents of cattle suffering heat stress, but the plans did not eventuate on time. Changes have already been made to improve animal welfare at the site, including reduced pen stocking rates, data loggers in pens to monitor heat, upgraded access to drinking water for animals, stock inspectors and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development officers attending each sale, and earlier sale times to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Boyanup is the South West’s biggest livestock saleyard, with about 70,000 cattle going through the facility each year. Public submissions for the proposals close on January 24.