The Australian Livestock Markets Association has welcomed the move and Forbes Council Shire Council general manager Steve Loane has breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Mr Loane earlier this month hit out at RMS issuing “improvement notices” to Forbes Shire Council and Dubbo Regional Council.

Mr Loane said Forbes council should not be considered legally responsible for whether truckloads of cattle or sheep leaving the saleyards were overweight or not.

The determination by RMS that council be considered “loading manager” according to national law had ramifications that did not realistically reflect operations at the saleyards, he said.

The improvement notices issued by RMS ordered the councils to install weighbridges and take responsibility as loading managers according to national “chain of responsibility” regulations. 

But NHVR chief executive Sal Petroccitto on Thursday said: “saleyards play a vital role in the economies of regional Australia as well as being a major source of export revenue,” signalling matters had gone far beyond RMS.

“The NHVR met with parties concerned about recent heavy vehicle breaches at saleyards across NSW,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“Issues have arisen in relation to the movement of heavy vehicles operating in excess of their allowable mass limits around salesyards in Dubbo and Forbes.

“As the events in question pre-date the changes to chain of responsibility laws (introduced on October 1), the NHVR will conduct a review to determine the most appropriate response to this issue,” he said.

“It’s important that we maintain productivity without compromising the safety of road users and transport workers.”

It’s a breakthrough that has been months coming, said Forbes Council’s Mr Loane.

The Land understands Mr Loane and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack discussed the matter at the national Drought Summit in Canberra on Friday.

Mr Petroccitto said: “This review will also be undertaken in conjunction with the supply chain for the livestock sector.”

Mr Loane said he had invited the NHVR to witness sales at Forbes on a Monday and Tuesday.

Forbes hosts cattle sales on Monday and sheep sales on Tuesday.

Mr Loane suggested the NHVR witness a Monday cattle sale, the departure of cattle following the sale and concurrent arrival of sheep and the following day’s sheep sale in a bid to determine whether council was responsible for livestock loading.

The Australian Livestock Markets Association welcomed the announcement, saying Saleyards are an important component of the Australian agriculture sector with transactions in the transparent auction system setting the current market benchmark in quality and price for livestock.

ALMA earlier this month called for a moratorium on improvement notices being issued to saleyards until a review had been completed.

ALMA also called for the NHVR to intervene and engage with relevant stakeholders to properly consider, assess and clarify the position as to responsibility for mass management at saleyards.

ALMA president, Ken Timms, said that “ALMA supports the concept of all parts of the supply chain banding together to promote public safety and to ensure a safe, efficient and productive freight industry, but that unreasonable compliance burden is currently being placed on saleyard owners”.

Councils contend that being owner of a saleyards does not necessarily mean responsibility for operations on any given sale day should fall to them.

“ALMA strongly believes that regulatory activities should fall on those in the supply chain who actually conduct, control and/or are responsible for relevant transport activities,” said Mr Timms.

“Saleyard owners merely provide a facility for others to conduct the business of selling livestock on behalf of vendors.

“Saleyard owners do not conduct, control and are not logistically involved in livestock movements nor the loading or unloading of heavy vehicles in saleyards on any given day,” he said.

“Chain of responsibility is an incredibly important issue and ALMA, on behalf of saleyard owners, looks forward to continuing to work with the NHVR to provide ongoing clarity around roles and responsibilities at saleyards,” Mr Timms said.