LARGE numbers of cattle filing through the Dubbo saleyards in the past 12 months have forced Dubbo City Council to consider improving the complex.
The Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets were built to accommodate a total of 4000 head of cattle but the complex has been housing yardings of up to 10,000 head.
"We installed rubber flooring last year which reduced stress, injury and weight loss," said Dubbo City Council director corporate development Ken Rogers.
"We then started to see bigger numbers of cattle at both prime and store sales from the Queensland drought.
"While we reduced strain in one area, this strain was moved on to other areas of the facility."
"The 10-year average yarding for the saleyards has been 4000 head but since late last year, we've been getting almost twice that."
Mr Rogers said a study had been commissioned to investigate the efficiency of the complex' structure and procedures which was presented to the Saleyards Advisory Committee.
Following the initial review, a second meeting was held last Monday which resolved to look at constructing a second weighbridge, between 100 and 200 new selling pens, additional laneways and double loading ramps.
"We will be looking at acquiring land to the south of the saleyards or expanding to the east on land the council already owns," Mr Rogers said.
Following land valuations, Mr Rogers said the council would meet with the advisory committee again to present potential options for the expansion.
He said local companies would most likely be contracted for the redevelopment but the cost of the upgrade was as yet unknown.
"Cattle come from the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and NSW to these saleyards so the Dubbo saleyards are an asset," he said.
"It may not maintain the 7000 to 10,000 head yardings but I can't see the yardings ever going back to what they were - we will always be above that 10-year average."
Mr Rogers said the Dubbo saleyards contributed more than $47.7m to the regional economy and supported 245 full-time positions, according to the economic input analysis conducted in 2009.
The sheep and goat portion of the complex is already undergoing a $4.1 million upgrade.
Selling agents, vendors and buyers alike were gratified when David Payne Constructions and sub-contractors began a 16,000 square metre expansion of sheep pens in June.
The work includes concrete paving in grids running parallel from east to west, sheep yards and loading ramps construction, roads, truck parking bays and associated electrical works.
The sheep and goat yards project at the greenfield site on the northern end of the complex is expected to be completed by Christmas.
