City chief executive officer Gavin Cator confirmed the sale was completed on Monday and the new owners of the business, Regional Infrastructure, would take over on December 19.

Mr Cator said members of the Albury-Wodonga Stock Agents Association had been advised when the sale would proceed.

“There was an agreement with Regional Infrastructure that we would sign on October 28 or 29,” he said.

“But we agreed not to sign until December 1, giving the agents the opportunity if they wished to lodge an injunction.

“That was not forthcoming.”

Mr Cator said he had met agents this week, discussing their concerns about the length of the handover and its potential effects on their busy January sales.

He said Regional Infrastructure representatives and board member, former federal minister and National Party leader Mark Vaile, would meet agents, staff and the council before Christmas to discuss transitional arrangements for the Bandiana yards.

Mr Cator said Regional Infrastructure was expected to lodge a planning application with the council for the new Barnawartha North site in the new year.

“Regional Infrastructure has given a commitment to work with the agents to optimise the design of the new facility,” he said.

“It is a very emotive subject for a lot of people and we are hopeful in the next week or so that Regional Infrastructure will show a public face in Wodonga,” he said.

Mr Cator said the saleyards’ two permanent staff and several part-time staff would have the opportunity to exercise their options, including redundancy, under the council’s enterprise agreement.