1209 SWQMP Report_3 2013

                                                                               Callaghan & Toth

deposited in the bunded composting areas. The next batch of poultry litter is deposited in the
bunded composting Areas.

In normal periods of rainfall the Poultry Litter can be turned over by machine (refer to Photos
in Appendix 4) and over a period of 5 weeks to turn it into compost and also to reduce in
volume by two thirds.

As the Poultry litter is proposed to be used as mulch for weed suppression as well as a
fertiliser it is anticipated that the maximum period for composting will be five (5) weeks and
maybe less depending on the spread of litter break down.

The bunded areas have been sized to accommodate composting of the clean out of the
whole eight (8) sheds (area 13,695m2 x 0.075 = 1027.13m2).

The tarps which will cover the compost mounds should prevent rain infiltration and therefore
sufficient composting should be achieved between week one (1) and week five (5).

Reserve areas will be provided for storage of composting poultry litter if in the case the litter
depth in the sheds is found to be more than 0.075m. This reserve area is an extra 18.5% of
the original volume.

6.2      Impact to Local Waterways

Blackfellow Creek forms the northern boundary of the site and flows to the Mary River. This
creek is a Lowland Freshwater waterway under the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy
2009 – Mary River environmental values and water quality objectives – Basin No. 138
including all tributaries of the Mary River (July 2010). The EPP Water details the water
quality objectives for this waterway type, including:

    •    Total Nitrogen < 0.5 mg/L
    •    Total Phosphorus < 0.05mg/L
    •    Suspended Solids < 6mg/L

Management of the farm will include the following to ensure water quality of Blackfellow
Creek is not impacted by this use:
   • Stormwater runoff will be treated as per Section 3,
   • Composted Poultry litter will be used to fertilise avocado trees so there is no increase
       of nutrient application to the land.
   • Commercial fertiliser usage will be only used to top up and deficiency in the fertilizer
       supplied by the composted poultry litter.
   • Herbicide usage will be minimised as weeds will be suppressed by mulch effect of
       composted litter application around trees.
   • Poultry litter composting areas will be tarped, bunded and runoff will be treated via
       wet sediment basins and Bioretention basins.
   • Farm management will conduct soil and leaf analysis to ensure the composted
       poultry litter is supplying adequate ratios of nutrients and minerals to the trees.
   • The application of composted poultry litter will be managed to minimise the potential
       of the contamination of local waterways and will not be applied:
           o within 50 m of waterways allowing overland flow to reduce run-off volume and
               re-capture particulate contaminants in run-off;
           o during heavy rainfall periods to minimise contaminants in run-off;
           o on windy days to minimise inappropriate dispersal; and

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1209 Animal Husbandry – Top Forestry Rd, Ridgewood                           SWQMP_REV_3
September 2013