Clucking mad

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Clucking mad

A PROPOSAL for a 400,000 chicken broiler farm has created unrest in the peaceful community of Wooreen, north of Leongatha.

The development includes 10 sheds measuring 135m long and 17.4m wide at 80 Pit Road, and 870 Leongatha-Yarragon Road.

Residents neighbouring the proposed chicken farm shared their concerns and opinions on Saturday morning during a meeting with chicken farmer applicant Chris Freney.

He is part owner of the large scale organisation, Chicken Farms Australia, and invited residents of Wooreen and surrounds to a meeting at the Berry’s Creek Hall to discuss his proposal, now before South Gippsland Shire Council for approval.

“There are new rules and regulations in regards to noise so residents don’t need to worry about disruption,” Mr Freney said.

“I’m going to try and get permission for the neighbouring residents to visit a chicken farm for themselves in order to see it visually and smell it.

“In terms of the application, we have to make a submission to the water catchment authorities which I have done, and therefore surround creeks and dams will not be affected.”

One of the residents’ main concerns was the fact the chicken farm would not be free range.

“Personally I don’t agree. I thought we were moving away from that type of farming to more free range,” Geoff Russell from Hallston said.

Annie Clark, a close neighbour of the proposed site, was worried about odour.

“When days that forecast strong winds, the smell is going to smother our property, not to mention the rats, mice and flies associated with chicken farms. It’ll push us to the point where we will no longer be able to live there,” she said.

Another close neighbour, Ian Motton, said, “The smell will drift down the gully and reach our farm.

“Why is this type of farming still around in this day and age?

“It’ is going to decrease the value of our properties? The vehicles going up and down our road are already bad enough.”

The application is being advertised for public notice until at least July 5.

Council has not received submissions to date.

The proposal will also involve construction of a machinery/amenities building, access tracks, feed silos, tanks, treatment ponds and a dam.

The proposal also includes a three lot subdivision in order to provide access to the proposed site directly from Leongatha-Yarragon Road, rather than from Pit Road.

Not impressed: from left, residents neighbouring the chicken farm proposed for Wooreen, Adele Upton, Kath Goller, Frank Griggs, Annie Clark and Chris Griggs were far from happy about the idea. They met at the Berrys Creek Hall on Saturday to discuss the proposal with proponent Chris Freney.

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Posted by on Jun 27 2017. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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