ALMOST a year after Regional Infrastructure was named the tenderer to take over the Ballarat Saleyards, no new site has been announced.
Ballarat City Council's growth and economy director Jeff Pulford said he did not imagine council had spent any more than $100,000 on the process, to date, in negotiations between its legal team and Regional Infrastructure.
The company was expected to take over management of the existing saleyards in August, but Ballarat City Council said negotiations were still ongoing.
Three contracts are being negotiated - one for management of the existing saleyards, one for the new development and another to transfer the business from council to a private company.
Mr Pulford could not specify a reason for the delay, saying "these things can take longer than expected".
He said he was speaking to Regional Infrastructure daily on their progress and had been working with Ballarat's saleyards industry to ensure the best outcome.
When the deal is done, Regional Infrastructure can immediately operate the existing saleyards as a private business, rather than a council-run facility.
The company will lease the Latrobe St facility off council for a two-year period, with the option of an extension.
During that time, they can go through the planning process for a new site, with council approval needed before development.
A site for a state-of-the-art saleyards facility was to be announced in June and tipped to be at Windermere.
But at this stage, no one will reveal where the site will be.
Ballarat City councillor John Philips said Regional Infrastructure was slow to finalise a site and everyone was keen for a decision.
"We believed it would happen in March this year, but there is still no sign of life at this stage," he said.
