Object to the Woodlands Enterprises breeder poultry farm in Harlin

Woodlands Enterprises Pty Ltd are seeking approval from the Somerset Regional Council to build a 69,000 chicken farm in Harlin. The development includes the construction of 6 sheds which will house up to 11,500 chickens and roosters per shed.

The proposed site for these sheds is within kilometres of dozens of homes, and around 5 km from another huge chicken farm. The applicant has used the rural zoning of the area to justify this, however, living in a rural area should not mean that residents are forced to put up with offensive odours, noise and potentially harmful air quality.

The application itself is largely void of substance and the required level of detail necessary with many critical areas (impacts/risks) not identified or adequately addressed. When a development has the potential to significantly impact neighbouring residents, as well as the environment and wildlife, there is an obligation on the applicant to address critical areas such as environmental management, waste management, traffic impacts, acoustics and so on.

We have drafted a submission below to make it easy for residents to voice their concerns. Simply enter your details to send an objection to the council. We strongly encourage you to amend it slightly to add your own thoughts and words.

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Dear Somerset Regional Council,

Thank you for the opportunity to have my say on the proposed poultry farm at Appletree Creek Road and Kangaroo Creek Rd in Harlin

As a local resident residing only a few kilometres from the proposed development, I am urging the council to reject this application in full.

I don’t believe that the applicant has demonstrated with any certainty that neighbouring residents, like me, won’t be negatively impacted by this development.

My concerns are outlined below:

1. Odour & air quality

The applicant’s odour assessment report is based on the modelling of meteorological data from a weather station at Gatton, approximately 75 kms from the subject site. They have not included any analysis for humidity, and have cherry-picked a K Factor of 1.0 based on their own assumptions, without offering any supporting evidence for these assumptions.

It’s clear that the odour modelling, and therefore the odour assessment report cannot be relied upon to demonstrate that this development won’t have odour impacts on me and my family as a nearby resident.

There is no information offered about the management of waste, where it will be disposed of or where or how mortalities will be handled.

I am equally concerned about the potential health impacts of toxic dust. There is a wealth of data available that shows that the dust generated at chicken farms is dangerous to human health This dust contains a compound of aerialised faeces, chicken dander (dead skin), mites, bacteria, fungal spores, mycotoxins, endotoxins, veterinary medicines, pesticides, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. Dust can travel hundreds of meters, and remain airborne for days. I am extremely concerned about the cumulative impact that exposure to this dust might have on me and my family, especially as there are already several other large-scale chicken farms in the area.

2. Noise impacts

As this poultry farm will be a breeding facility, there will be many roosters residing within each shed. Despite this, the applicant has not submitted any information on acoustics or noise management, and the council has not requested this information.

Researchers in Belgium have recently made a noteworthy discovery regarding roosters' crowing habits. They observed that a rooster's crow typically registers an impressive sound level of over 130 decibels, sustaining this intensity for approximately 1 to 2 seconds. To put this into perspective, it's akin to being positioned about 15 meters away from a jet during takeoff. Astonishingly, during their study, one of the three roosters they examined even exceeded this with a crow that reached more than 143 decibels. This level of noise is comparable to standing amidst the roaring activity of an aircraft carrier with jets soaring past. Notably, roosters on breeding farms, such as the one proposed for development, are known for their propensity to crow incessantly, regardless of the time of day or night.

Performance outcome 13 of the Rural Zone Code requires that developments do not result in any undue adverse impacts on the amenity of the locality. It is clear that this development cannot meet this outcome, and should therefore be rejected.

3. Concerns about the increase in traffic

The applicant has offered absolutely no information on the amount of traffic this development will produce, or the suitability of the access road to handle the volume of traffic. Therefore, it is impossible for the council to assess this development against the outcomes of the Transport, Access and Parking Code.

If the applicant cannot demonstrate that the development can comply with the required outcomes of the Rural Zone Code and Transport, Access and Parking Code, it should be rejected.

4. Concerns regarding the impact on the environment, water and wildlife

Despite the significant risk that intensive developments such as this can have on biodiversity and the environment, the applicant has not offered an environmental management report, nor any information about their use of water, or how they intend to minimise impacts to vulnerable wildlife.

The wildnet database shows multiple sightings of koalas within a few kilometres of the proposed site, and many other wildlife species are known the inhabit the area, especially close to the waterways. I have concerns about the diminishing populations of birds, reptiles, insects and mammals, and these wetlands provide crucial habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna, all of which will be affected by the introduction of an intense poultry farm in such close proximity.

The development is going to require a substantial amount of earthmoving and construction in the building phase. This development will result in the disturbance of land, and runoff from the sheds - which is unavoidable in heavy rain, may result in the pollution of neighbouring properties and nearby wetlands.

Developments like this require substantial amounts of water, yet no information has been provided about the requirements, nor how the applicant intends to source this water.

In summary, I don’t believe that this development is appropriate for this area, given the significant impact it is likely to have on myself and my family as a nearby resident. I therefore request that the Somerset Regional Council reject this application in full.

Sincerely,

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