Budding Warrnambool farmers urges councillors to keep saleyards

Being a farmer when he leaves school is something he is keen to do and he wants to be able to come to the yards when he is older.

The 14-year-old loves to work with cows and horses on the family's 40-acre hobby farm.

Chad spends his holidays buying calves at the saleyards and rears them for 12 months before returning to sell them.

He said he made about $4000 each year.

The year 8 student sent his recent school project calling for the yards to be kept to all seven councillors.

By Thursday he had heard back from four of them.

They thanked him for sending it through and invited him to attend Monday's council meeting - which he plans to do - and where councillors were expected to decide on the fate of the yards.

"We had to make a campaign poster for a cause, so I decided to do the saleyards because they might be going," Chad said.

"I think they should stay.

"It makes a lot of money for Warrnambool."

Chad was concerned about the job losses and impact on workers that a closure would bring. "It won't be just the stock agents but the people that wash the yards and truck drivers," he said.

Chad's mum, Brooke, has run a hairdressing business at the saleyards for 17 years.

His dad Sam worked to erect the roof at the saleyards, so closure would also impact his business.

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