Brunswick sale yards to be removed

The old cattle sale yards in Brunswick, which are listed in the Harvey Shire Council’s Municipal Heritage Inventory as having significant heritage value, will be dismantled and ownership transferred to the council.

The council approved the removal of the yards at last Tuesday’s meeting subject to a number of conditions.

The yards date back to the 1950s and are on land the Catalano family acquired a few years ago adjacent to B and J Catalano on South Western Highway.

The company wants to use the land for staff parking and will number and pallet stack each piece of the structure for storage until further use.

An inspection by council staff found that the structure is in a state of disrepair with many of the jarrah posts leaning, leading to a warped roof line and signs of white ant infestation.

Shire president Tania Jackson said although the council had not yet determined a suitable home for the historic yards, it would be used in some way.

“The calf sale yards represent an important part of the town’s history and are one of the few remaining examples of yards built after World War I,” Cr Jackson said.

“It would be difficult to rebuild it as it is but parts of it could be rebuilt with interpretative signage and it would be fitting to see this part of the history represented in some way in the future.”

Kevin Wood was the only councillor to vote against the proposal.

“I cannot see the heritage value of the yards,” he said.

“They are in a state of disrepair and no one wants them – the Brunswick Agricultural Society rejected them when they were offered to them.

“The shire might have to maintain and store them for a long time at their cost.

“I would rather see people use the old jarrah posts to make them into furniture – as they stand, they are of no value.”