The Queensland Government supported major upgrades to the former Longreach saleyards to establish the new Western Queensland Livestock Exchange (WQLX).
The WQLX forms part of the large and complex infrastructure network supporting the Queensland beef sector. Given Queensland’s size and the geographic scale of the industry, regional saleyards are a key component of that network.
The former saleyard has been transformed into a modern and innovative livestock marketing services centre and will enable the throughput of 100,000 head of cattle each year by 2026.
The upgrades to the saleyard included new cattle weighing infrastructure and drafting facilities, as well as adjoining additional railway siding extensions offering multiple wagon drop-offs boosting loading and unloading efficiency and improving stock wellbeing.
The expanded facilities offer best practice facilities and services that will be a significant economic driver throughout the Longreach region.