Deception in Dubbo or…?

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By Dwain Duxson.

Deception in Dubbo or…? - There was an extraordinary set of events that happened last Thursday in Dubbo. The local council wanted to sell or lease out the Saleyards, which is one of the largest in the Country.

The yard users (Agents, Farmers, and the like) were totally against it because they thought a private owner might jack the rates up, which would increase the already high selling costs. But last Thursday, after a long protest from the users, the council did an about-turn and decided to retain ownership of the site, much to the relief of the users. I guess it's better the devil you know.

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But there was a catch. In order for the deal to take place, the council would have to increase the rates to $16 a head for Cattle, a rise of 32.5 per cent, and for Sheep to $2 a head, a 27.4 per cent increase. The increase to the council per annum was over $1 million.

It just goes to show that if you play your cards right, you can have your cake and eat it. However, I am not suggesting that the council called the bluff of the user group in order to get a price rise. You do have to think that if they just asked for those sorts of rises without the threat of a sale or lease, they would have been met with a lot of resistance from Agents and Farmers. If it was a strategy, it worked…. Do you think it was a bit cheeky or nothing sinister? It's just the way it panned out. Reply to dwaind@farmtender.com.au

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