Inverell Regional Livestock Exchange showcases new facilities during tour

Groups were given an in depth run down of upgrades made to the facility including undercover selling pens with soft flooring and new feed yards to improve animal welfare.

IRLX chief executive Tim Gallagher said the redevelopment made conditions significantly better for cattle.

"You can see how much calmer cattle are in the new pens, which makes everyone a little less stressed. Having a roof also benefits everyone.

"The new feeding facilities allow us to feed cattle for any standard length of time and we can divide rations depending on what people want," he said.

Tea tree mulch lines the floors in the new interchangeable pens, which can be changed with a bobcat every few months and recycled as manure.

Built on an angle, the undercover facility also collects rainwater to later use as drinking water for cattle.

"Now we've completed stage one of the selling yard facilities, and the feeding and holding yards on the eastern and southern side, that will be replicated throughout the rest of the footprint of the sale yards now.

As a brownfield site demolition and construction will take place in stages, estimated to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

"The new facilities were used last week and have received good feedback already. We're hoping to generate more business over time but this year is obviously a drought year so there are people travelling further than what they would normally- which is more of a reflection of the season."

Selling numbers have been high at IRLX and the team have just cracked 100,000 head for the financial year.

Mr Gallagher said it had been a "big year" for staff, particularly working around construction.

Once the redevelopment is completed, separate work will take place on the complex- set to finish mid-next year.

The redevelopment was made possible after IRLX received funding from the federal government's Building Better Regions Fund - Infrastructure Projects stream.