The Roma saleyards were awarded the 2023 ALMA Industry Champion Award at the recent ALMA national conference on the Gold Coast, highlighting the exceptional work of the Maranoa Regional Council in establishing the saleyards as one of the region's major attractions.
Manager of the Roma Saleyards Daniel Haslop said they were honoured to receive the award as an acknowledgement of the team effort that it took to build the facility's reputation as one of the best selling centres in the country.
"For the region, it's something that we can continue to provide; a place for people to meet, conduct their business and showcase the wider beef industry," he said.
"It's a team award, so it's for all the staff, the contractors, the agents, the vendors, the buyers and sellers. It's the saleyards community that really got us across the line for this award."
The award was based on demonstrating excellence across four categories; caring for animals, caring for people, contributing to the community, and contributing to the economy.
Roma Saleyards has been a council owned and operated facility for more than 50 years and the relationship has been one which has seen investment and allowed growth over the years.
"Council continues to invest in the facility, the people and the animals that are entrusted to our site," Mr Haslop said.
One of the centre's major selling points, and something that has taken off and contributed both economically and socially over the past decade, was the introduction of tourism.
Mr Haslop said allowing visitors to take guided tours of the centre not only offered a transparent and educational experience, but also ensures that Roma saleyards is doing its part to showcase the industry.
"As we open up the facility to all the tourists, it's a way for us to tell the story of the saleyards but also the wider beef industry," he said.
"We like to be transparent here, and for a lot of the visitors, it's the first touch point or interaction they've had with the beef industry as a whole, so a lot of them are astounded.
"If we can't tell our story, someone else will tell it for us, so it's up to us, and all other saleyards in the wider industry, to tell the story and tell it in a positive light, and be as transparent as possible."
ALPA CEO calls for councils to step up
During a panel presentation at the national conference, chair of ALPA Peter Baldwin noted the need for all parties, including local councils, to work together to uphold the place of saleyards as a "powerhouse" within the community.
Mr Baldwin said when noting the various social and economic benefits of having well-maintained and thriving saleyards facilities in rural towns, it was obvious that councils should be willing to invest in them, for "the common good."
"Now some might say that's a utopian view, but saleyards work when everyone is on board, when everyone is communicating, and everyone acknowledges what these powerhouses can be to a marketplace," he said to the crowd.
"Is there nothing worse than going to a saleyard out the end of a town in western Victoria or New South Wales and seeing no money, no activity, nothing."
Crediting the industry on how far it had come over the years, in particular the rise in both young people and females working in saleyards across the country, Mr Baldwin said it was imperative that they be attractive working environments, to both vendors and employees.
"We must forget this us versus them approach in the operation of saleyards, saleyards must have a good cultural fit as well," he said.
"Saleyards should be a place where participants look forward to going to, enjoy being and can do business at.
"A saleyard should be a great place to promote agriculture to accelerate the financial and husbandry pursuits of those who who feed the world, simple as that."
Mr Baldwin acknowledged the councillors in the room, asking them to engage with their counterparts and help make the maintenance and improvement of saleyards facilities a priority, for the sake of both their rural communities, and the industry as a whole.
"I just wish from a local council viewpoint, that we stop everything from the divide and conquer mentality," he said.
"I just ask one thing, we just need to stop these councillors who are disengaged, disenfranchised, uninterested or belligerent in their attitudes towards these wonderful powerhouses that exist, these wonderful facilities that exist."
