THE cut and thrust of wool sales with all its social interaction may once more become a feature of Goulburn if a push gains momentum.
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It's only early days yet, but Regional Development Australia Southern Inland is planning to thoroughly comb through the possibilities.
Acting executive officer Mareeca Flannery will bring together brokers, other industry players and the council in a meeting on July 29. They'll be discussing the possible relocation of wool sales from the Yennora wool selling centre.
"We've pulled together a roundtable to have a frank and robust discussion on whether we can do it and to ask if it's what people want," she said. "...We want to capitalise on the Sydney sprawl and considering Goulburn is the home of the Big Merino, we want to build on that and make something out of the tourism experience, too."
If realised, it would be a case of history repeating. Goulburn lost its wool sales to Yennora in 1998 in a blow keenly felt at the time.
Ms Flannery said one of her board members suggested the idea, but it also sprang from other conversations.
Australian Wool Handlers holds the head lease for Yennora, but sub-lets space to individuals. AWH's NSW manager, Goulburn-based Mark Hedley, said while the lease ended in a few years' time, there was no suggestion it wouldn't be renewed.
But Goulburn is trying to pitch its cheaper real estate and rental prices as an incentive to relocate. It comes amid broader discussion about centralising east coast wool selling, with Melbourne's current facility a key option.
RDA is trying to head off that possibility; but Ms Flannery said it was important not to "put the cart before the horse".
This month's meeting is a first step. Some 15 people, including buyers, sellers and graziers from across NSW, will attend. Inland Wool Brokers Association chairman Wayne Beecher will be among them.
"It has to be attractive to them," Ms Flannery said. "At Yennora, all players rent office space and some have storage space so that expense would cut out.
"In my conversations with graziers, the other thing that's mentioned is the social side where sellers get to know the wool broker. If sales are sent to Victoria, that's lost and there's no ongoing relationship."
Ms Flannery said a local wool selling facility wouldn’t need a great deal of space and there were several options available.
Mr Hedley, who has over 30 years’ experience in the wool industry, is giving RDA some input.
He’s cautiously optimistic and says Goulburn’s case must be convincing.
“The industry will look at it and if the figures stack up, they’ll get people on side but if not, I can’t see it getting off the ground,” he said.
Mr Hedley said Goulburn was well located and had many pluses but whether this suited everyone was another matter.
He pointed out that several years ago a proposal to relocate wool sales from Yennora to Eastern Creek was never realised because “the industry couldn’t get itself together.”
But he said NSW shouldn’t dismiss the posibility of losing sales to Victoria.
“There are elements within the industry that want to have it centralised to Melbourne and there are certainly parts that don’t want that to happen because they don’t see that as the the best thing for woolgrowers and the trade,” Mr Hedley said.
“China buys 75 per cent of the wool clip and some elements believe that spreading the sales out assists competition.”
He argued Melbourne was one of the dearest cities in terms of property prices and decentralising to the regions made sense.
Mr Hedley said Goulburn was very competitive with Sydney prices; in the end it was all about “dollars per square metre.”
Auction space and concrete sample boxes to display wool were the essential ingredients.
“There’s always been a link here,” Mr Hedley said.
“Goulburn is still the biggest storage location in 1998...but at the end of the day, this proposal has to take the industry in a direction that will set it up for the future.”
Mayor Geoff Kettle said he first became aware of the push 12 to 18 months ago. Hume MP Angus Taylor and Member for Goulburn Pru Goward have also been involved in talks.
At this stage there has been no formal approach about the relocation.
“But Goulburn is the home of fine wool growing so I think it’s logical to try and bring the sales back here,” Cr Kettle said.
