Construction starts on Gunnedah Saleyards with $17.6 million upgrade to improve the livestock selling location

The $17.6 million upgrade is expected to 'beef' up the region's economy by helping Gunnedah cement its position as one of the premier locations for selling livestock in NSW.

Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Jamie Chaffey welcomed the start of construction and said the project would help council develop its dominant industries.

"This will cement beef sales in our community, which has been a very important lever when it comes to new opportunities in the Gunnedah community," he said.

"It's also an opportunity for us to share and teach the youth and young people, to come out and have a look at this facility and understand the industry."

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The funding will deliver a new cafe, administration facility, truck wash, more workshop sheds and improvements to cattle ramps, gates, fencing and watering systems.

Wi-Fi will also be installed as well as high speed internet to support online sales.

With the saleyards having sold up to $80 million worth of cattle annually in the past few years, it is hoped the upgrade will attract more buyers to the region.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said with a local contractor on board for the construction the build would help drive the COVID-19 recovery.

"During the upgrades, the project will bring more jobs to the region by employing more than 80 people throughout the construction period," Mr Anderson said.

"Once complete, the updated facility will then support the retention of staff at the saleyards, as well as encourage the employment of more staff in the long-term."

The funding is also expected to improve general safety at the saleyards with upgrades to security, the office and fencing also in the plans.

"This is an exciting time for Gunnedah, and the saleyards position us to be prepared for the opportunities ahead," Cr Chaffey said.

Construction is expected to be complete by late October.

Fourteen million dollars for the project has come from the state government's Infrastructure and Job Acceleration fund, with the remaining $3.6 million contributed by Gunnedah Shire Council.

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