THE centralisation of Melbourne's wool sales has gathered momentum with brokers.
Quality Wool, Lempriere Fox and Lillie, and Techwool Trading, have all transferred their auctions from Geelong Rd in Brooklyn, to Australian Wool Handlers' centre in nearby Frederick St.
The move, although not unexpected, follows AWEX's decision in December not to renew the lease on the Victorian Wool Centre in Geelong Rd, which expires in June.
LFL general manager Jonathan Lillie said his company's decision to commence auctioning at Frederick St last week was all about efficiency and stressed there needed to be auctions in a single centre.
"It was sad to leave Geelong Rd, because they were great facilities," Jonathan said.
Last week's AWH auctions accounted for two-thirds of the southern region offerings.
The move to Frederick St is going to create several problems or challenges.
The first is finding enough office space for the additional brokers and those exporters who currently have offices at Geelong Rd.
The second is that the transfer will deprive AWEX of another income stream. Like AWH, AWEX charges fees per sale lot.
AWEX is already operating on a shoestring budget.
Likewise, there is a consensus among both exporters, brokers and growers that the wool industry needs an independent viable company such as AWEX to oversee industry regulations, including clip-preparation standards.
