The Casino Auctioneers Association says it will not back down from a dispute with a New South Wales council over “unfair” selling agreements at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange (NRLX).
Key points:
- Casino Auctioneers Association will hold its prime cattle sale at Lismore Saleyards this week
- Richmond Valley Council says agents cannot sell cattle at NRLX until new agreements are signed
- The Grafton Saleyards chair says smaller centres and their CBDs will benefit from the ongoing dispute
Casino agents have taken issue with an increase in their fees, as well as Richmond Valley Council taking over control of stock at the multi-million dollar facility.
“If we have to, we will send cattle – and keep sending them – to other centres, even if this takes until Christmas,” agent Darren Perkins said.
Council general manager Vaughan Macdonald said sales would not resume until agents signed the agreement.
“A fair and reasonable offer, which is favourable against industry standards, remains on the table for an agency to sign,” he said.
Mr Perkins said the agreement was not “fair and reasonable”.
“We have at least 60 to 65 of the schedules and the clauses that we don't agree with, or we want discussion with,” he said.
“If this agreement is so great and so industry-level and that, where has anyone come from to sign this?
“That basically tells me that it's unachievable and no-one should sign it.”
He said an agent fee increase from $1 per head to 0.2 per cent of gross revenue was open for discussion, but agents had rejected the council's plan to assume stock control.
“We as agents take great pride in going out servicing our clients from the field, we bring the cattle to the yards, we draft them, we take delivery, and we keep contact of that process,” he said.
“Now the council wants to take that away from us — basically they want to control our businesses and that's not going to happen.
“This is very toxic and we want intervention from outside sources to get this right.”
Cost to beef capital
With the NRLX gates locked, producers have been forced to send cattle elsewhere, including Lismore, Grafton and Warwick, in Queensland.
Casino agents will hold their prime cattle sale at Lismore Saleyards this week at the invitation of local agency Ian Weir & Son.
Grafton Saleyards Advisory Committee chair Debrah Novak said smaller selling centres would benefit from increased cattle numbers.
“When we have our store and fat cattle sales, there is such a huge increase of shopping activity in Grafton,” she said.
“The big knock-on effect of this will be Casino CBD will miss out, because the producers will be shopping in Lismore and Grafton.”
The Clarence Valley councillor said the committee brought together local government officials, staff, agents, transporters and producers to ensure the facility ran smoothly.
“So having a committee is just absolute gold for being able to have these deep and meaningful conversations with our stakeholders of the saleyards,” she said.
“Staff are better able to understand the needs of the key stakeholders, the councillor is in a better position to listen and hear exactly what's going on with those people or those industries.”
The Casino Chamber of Commerce has been contacted for comment.
Big bull sale looming
Despite the dispute, the calls of auctioneers and the bellowing of cattle will return to NRLX on July 29 for the 25th annual Casino All Breeds Bull and Female sale.
Sale committee president Bruce Lyle has welcomed the council's approval for a one-day operating licence for agents to sell the 200 stud cattle already booked in.
“I'm very, very pleased that both parties were able to park their differences to allow this event to proceed,” he said.
The sale, featuring 12 breeds, is also a fundraiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Casino VRA Rescue and Windara Tea Rooms.
Mr Lyle, an Angus breeder, urged both parties to get to the table and negotiate an outcome to reopen NRLX for all cattle producers.
“We're starting this dry period with very high prices on fodder, very low prices on cattle,” he said.
“We need to have the option to be able to offload some of the cattle.”
Posted , updated