'It's horrifying': Agents fear damaging impacts of selling our saleyards

"It's horrifying," he said.

Dubbo Regional Council, which currently owns the facility, has opened expressions of interest for the sale or lease of the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets.

The council chief executive officer Murray Wood said no decision had been made on what would happen to the saleyards, however the organisation was "committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability and viability of the Livestock Markets".

Mr Milling said he was born into a stock and station agent family.

"Nothing else existed as far as I was concerned," he said.

Mr Milling was at the Dubbo saleyards on the day it opened in June 1950. He said he was only a "young fella" at the time taking orders from his father and everyone else in the business and getting stuck with the "dirty jobs".

At the time it was owned by Talbragar Shire Council. Mr Milling said they were the administrator and with the help of the agents, they got it rolling.

The Dubbo saleyards have now grown to be the top in the state for cattle sales and third for sheep and lambs.

If sold, Mr Milling fears all the work to build it into a successful operation will be jeopardised.

"There's $370 million worth of sheep and cattle in 12 months [through the saleyards]. There's nobody else who's got that, no other industry," he said.

"It's had an enormous effect on the growth of Dubbo. My concern is all of this is going to go backwards. If people sat down and realised what the saleyards does for Dubbo, not just in the sales but in the growth of the area."

Dubbo Stock and Station Agent president Martin Simmons said the possible sale or lease of the Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets "could have a massive financial impact on the city".

"Our clients come to town and then they shop while they're here. They stay at a motel while they're here. They eat out at a restaurant while they're here. They might go to a machinery shop while they're here," Mr Simmons said.

"The whole city prospers on the back of the agricultural industry as a whole. Our towns and cities and surrounding areas are propped up by agriculture. It has been forever and a day and always will be."

He worries that the privatisation of the facility will lead to a hike in fees, as has been seen in other saleyards that have been bought privately. That in turn will lead to a decline in the number of livestock and then a downturn in the number of people coming to Dubbo to spend money in the city.

Mr Simmons said there was no doubt everyone at the saleyards was "very concerned".

"That goes from sale yard users to our clients, to transport companies to the pay contract, the feed contractors out at the sale yards, like everything's up in the air for them as far as what their future looks like because they don't know what the end result is going to be. There's a lot of unrest. Most definitely, everyone's very unsettled at the moment," he said.

In the past, Mr Milling said the elected councillors had primarily been farmers, who knew the value of the saleyards. But now he doesn't believe its value is recognised.

"We're a great operation. But there'd be a lot of people who have never been to the saleyards. They don't know what happens out there. It's a very big operation. If Fletchers closed tomorrow everyone in Dubbo would be throwing their arms in the air and saying 'oh my God, we're finished'," Mr Milling said.

Mr Wood said the expressions of interest process came following a service review of the facility. He said the council endeavoured to operate the markets as a financially sustainable commercial asset while also complying with any requirements and legislation.

"Council is seeking expressions of interest from organisations who may want to purchase or lease the markets from council and once we have that information as well as information on an updated council operating model, a report will be provided to councillors to determine the next steps," Mr Wood said.

Mr Simmons said the lease of the saleyards had been raised about six months ago, but it wasn't until the April council committee meetings that they realised it may be sold. Before then, while he knew it was an option, Mr Simmons said it had been painted as "highly unlikely".

Both Mr Simmons and Mr Milling said they would like to see the "status quo" maintained, and for the saleyards to continue to be operated by the council.

Mr Milling said the agents are willing to work with the council to see how they could make it work.

"I shudder to think of Dubbo without the saleyards. We'll lose so much. They've been run very successfully for 70-odd years, why turn around and throw the baby out with the bath water?" he said.