Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie said it was reassuring to see southern producers unite and fight for a common cause.

“What was really great, like what happened here locally in Barnawartha, was 80 beef producers in Swan Hill, 80 users of that sale yard, said ‘this is not good enough’,” Senator McKenzie said.

“In the face of that, those stock agents who told the council they consulted, and hadn’t, backed down and said ‘we did the wrong thing, let’s go back to the drawing board’.

“I think that shows the importance of our producers standing up and making sure they’re heard when it’s needed.”

“One of the great things the Senate Inquiry has highlighted is that the industry isn’t just all beer and skittles, you need to include all voices so that you get the right outcomes.”

A meeting of unhappy saleyard sellers at Swan Hill last week rejected council and agent plans to scrap their on-scale/ring selling system.

At the public meeting, which was chaired by Swan Hill mayor, Les McPhee, it was resolved council, as the owner and operator of the facility, would form a working group to review the design of budgeted $1.6m project which includes Federal Government funds.

The working group, it was agreed, would comprise of producer members as well as agent, transport and council representatives.

Yard user and VFF Livestock chair Leonard Vallance said council heard loud and clear producers were unhappy.

“We heard their arguments and agreed on non human/animal contact elements for work safety reasons but their reasons for changing the selling method didn’t stack up,” he said.

The VFF has been committed to pre-sale weighing throughout the Senate and ACCC inquiries.

Victorian opposition agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh, who represents the Swan Hill region, said he backed the VFF stance while in Wodonga this week.