By Dominique Tassell
While no plans for the redevelopment of the Warwick Saleyards canteen have been set in stone, canteen operator Mark Bradford says the canteen has faced issues for a while.
Mark gave a tour of the current canteen, which reports indicate is set to be demolished and relocated as part of the Saleyards renovation.
The current canteen faces issues including a lack of space for both staff and equipment, broken and old facilities, and not enough space for staff to park.
The canteen has no cold room for food and drinks to be stored, and on days when the canteen is at its busiest, such as the annual horse sale, there is simply not enough room.
The space surrounding the canteen is used for parking, though not by staff, and there is no outside area where people can sit.
Mark said this is an issue on busy or rainy days.
The canteen, and the entire Saleyards site, were estimated to be around 50 years old in the Saleyards master plan, released in part in 2020.
The signs on the canteen and toilet facilities show this age, and Mark said they have issues with the doors of the building and inside cabinets.
The toilets next to the canteen reportedly do not have any hot water.
A Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) spokesperson stated earlier this month that “no plans have been developed yet for the canteen“, though when Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud announced the $4.5 million in funding for the project, he identified the canteen as part of the project.
The SDRC spokesperson stated that SDRC “will be going out for detailed costings and design for the redevelopment of the Warwick Saleyards at which stage Council will be in a better position to comment on the overall project“.
The master plan indicates that the canteen’s inclusion in the redevelopment may be due to health and safety concerns.
The plan outlined SDRC’s Operational Health and Safety requirements, as governed by the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011.
The general duties of the Act are as follows:
• Providing and maintaining a working environment that is safe and without risks to health (includes entering and exiting).
• Providing and maintaining plant, structure and systems of work that are safe and do not pose health risks (e.g. providing effective guards).
• Ensuring the safe use, handling, storage and transport of plant, structure and substances (e.g. toxic chemicals, dusts and fibres).
• Providing adequate facilities for the welfare of workers at workplaces under their management and control (e.g. washrooms, lockers and dining areas).
• Providing workers with information, instruction, training or supervision needed for them to work safely and without risks to their health.
• Monitoring the health of their workers and the conditions of the workplace under their management and control, to prevent injury or illness.
• Maintaining any accommodation owned, or under their management and control, to ensure the health and safety of workers occupying the premises.
• Additionally, a PCBU with management or control of a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the workplace, the means of entering and exiting the workplace and anything arising from the workplace, do not affect the health and safety of any person.
The master plan listed “demolition and relocation of the existing administration, car parking, and canteen“ as part of the strategy for the Saleyards, explaining this was “to remove the Operational Health and Safety and structural issues that have been reported“.
The plan indicated that a 2014 report’s safety audit found various areas that needed to be addressed.
The “major upgrade to existing facility“ option in the plan outlined a number of upgrades which may be part of the future renovations.
It stated that Work Health and Safety standard upgrades would include the replacement of all cattle yards and gates with new yards and slam-latched gates, including upgrading several of the sheep gates.
Among the list of suggested upgrades was a purpose-designed covered roof area, and an automated air operated drafting area.
It has not yet been announced exactly what upgrades will be undertaken at the Saleyards.
Last year when SDRC applied for funding, a report tabled at an Ordinary Council Meeting stated the proposed redevelopment works at the saleyards would include cattle pens, amenities, canteen and administration office, as well as car and truck parking and internal roadworks.
At the time, SDRC estimated the upgrade would cost $7.5 million, with SDRC contributing a minimum of $3 million towards the project.
The rejected options, known as the ‘brownfield’ and ‘greenfield’ options, were costed by consultants in a council business case at $13.9 million and $15.6 million respectively.
