2017-07-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                          11 JULY 2017


REPORT
1.        PROPOSAL
The application seeks approval for a Development Permit for a Material Change of Use for
Aquaculture (Animal Husbandry Type 2 – Intensive Aquaculture). The use is proposed to be
within an existing industrial unit situated at 3 Sanders Street, Noosaville.
The proposal involves the use of the existing shed to grow native saltwater fish for live trade
within a series of above ground tanks. The tanks will have a combined total of 243m 2 within and
around the existing sheds.
The proposal builds on the existing aquaculture facility at 15 Production Street Noosaville. There
have been no complaints or concerns raised regarding the operation of this facility.
The report submitted with the application provides for the following information regarding the
nature and scale of operation:
     Saltwater is delivered to the site via a water tanker from the private Mill Street ‘marine facility’
     at Noosaville. The saltwater is then filtered through the various aquaculture tanks. The
     species of fish to be grown at the site are:
          Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
          Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
          Flowery Cod (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus)
          Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)
          Barramundi Cod (Cromileptes altivelis)
          Maori Wrass (Cheilinus undulates)
          Mud crab (Scylla serrata)
     Not all of the species listed will be cultured at once, with the Giant Grouper being the
     preferred species. After being used for the fish, the effluent water is deposited into
     Unitywater’s sewer network.
     The business currently employs 4 staff (including the owner), and live fish deliveries occurs
     approximately twice a week at the Production Street site. The expanded site is likely to
     require a maximum of 5 staff onsite at any one time, with daily deliveries to the other factory
     and to fish markets for live trade. Because the site is not open for public sales, there will be
     limited clients visiting the site.
     The hours of operation proposed are 24 hours per day 7 days a week, with staff on site
     commonly between 7am-7pm daily, however, there may be a need for staff to be working
     outside of these hours in case of emergencies. Any fish mortalities will be recorded and
     stored in the onsite freezer until the Council rubbish day when they will be removed from the
     freezer and placed in the Council bins to be disposed of appropriately. In the event of a large
     mortality event the dead fish will be loaded into a truck lined with plastic and taken to the
     Local Noosa landfill site.
     A trade waste permit has been obtained from Unitywater.
2.        SITE DETAILS
The site contains two buildings and includes loading, truck turning and a car parking area which
can accommodate up to 16 cars adjacent to the building. The front building has a gross floor area
of 390m2 (including a 25m2 mezzanine) whilst the rear building is 350m2 in area.
The site adjoins industrial lots which contain similar sized sheds.
Attachments 1 and 2 detail a locality plan and proposal plans.


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