Lalla residents are considering lodging an appeal against the City of Launceston’s decision to approve a second chicken shed at 25 Quills Road.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The development, which was submitted by Olson’s Eggs, received the green light at Monday’s council meeting.
Farmer Chris Olson confirmed his willingness to work with any authorities regarding compliance.
There were 15 community members who wrote to the council opposing the project, including Bob and Rhonnie Pammenter, and Lyndy Pinner.
The residents first raised concerns in February, 2015, when plans for the original poultry shed were approved.
Mrs Pinner said her farms used the water for irrigation of crops and to shower and clean their teeth.
“Once the shed was approved we decided that we would start taking background figures of the levels of contamination in the water,” retired chemical engineer Mr Pammenter said.
The residents said they were taught how to collect water samples by NRM North.
“We started doing testing for phosphorus, nitrogen, E. coli upstream of the shed and downstream of the shed and did that for almost a full year,” he said.
After monthly testing by the operator began, the residents cut back on the amount of sampling.
Their major concern is not the free-range area where the chickens are based but the spreading of manure, which they believe should not occur on ‘soaks’ and with the water table at the level it is.
The results of the testing, completed by the residents and Olson’s Eggs, show the amounts of total nitrogen and total phosphorus are above guidelines from the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand.
The amounts of E. coli per 100ml ranged from 420 colony-forming units in July, 2016 to 22,000cfu in February, 2017.
However, according to a report by Asset Environmental, dated August, 2017, the high level of pollutants can not attributed to a specific cause.
RELATED STORIES:
“The streams are not fenced off and easily accessible by cattle roaming … it is highly likely that high concentrations of nutrients and E. coli are indicators of other impact not directly related to poultry operations,” the report said.
In April, 2016 the council issued an enforcement notice over four issues with the original development regarding the location of the building, monthly water testing, soil monitoring and riparian vegetation.
City of Launceston general manager Michael Stretton said there was no evidence of ongoing non-compliance and any matters identified had been rectified in a timely manner.
“The City of Launceston has investigated numerous complaints from neighbouring properties about the site,” Mr Stretton said.
“Over the course of following up various complaints, officers from City of Launceston, the EPA, DPIPWE and federal government officers representing the EPBC Act have all visited the area and undertaken investigations.
“None have found cause to take action against the operator.”
The residents worry that their ongoing complaints were not heard when the second shed was approved.
“Complaints about the operation of the site are a matter for the council to monitor and regulate, but not something aldermen can consider when sitting as a planning authority and considering a specific planning application,” Mr Stretton said.
“The City of Launceston, sitting as a planning authority, voted at its public meeting on Monday to grant a permit with a number of conditions, for the construction of a new outbuilding.
“In making that decision the council has satisfied itself of all relevant information it requires as a planning authority; aldermen are of course able to request any additional information they may need to enable them to reach a decision.”