Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC) has awarded a contract to build a roof over Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange (HRLE).
Councillors voted on Monday night to appoint Ballarat’s MKM Constructions as the contractor for this project.
The $3,434,570 contract is for design and construction with works expected to start in November and be completed by October 2020.
Chief Executive Officer Sunil Bhalla said a sawtooth modular design would cover the entire saleyard area of 23,400 square metres.
“This installation of the new roof will occur over the existing footprint and with the HRLE remaining operational during construction works,” Mr Bhalla said.
“This includes 500 kilolitres of water storage, LED lighting throughout and 100 kilowatts of solar panels, the maximum allowable within the limits of the small-scale renewable energy market provisions.”
Mr Bhalla said MKM Constructions had extensive experience in roofing livestock exchanges including at Hamilton, Colac and Yea.
“Council believes this experience will ensure the site runs smoothly during the construction period,” he said.
The key long-term benefits from the roof include weather protection for livestock, staff, agents and buyers, improved livestock quality, carbon emission reductions and reduced cleaning and maintenance costs.
HRCC successfully applied for a $1,490,000 grant from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund last year.
Council allocated $3.03 million for the project in its 2019-20 Budget.
