Concerns to Mayor regarding vote for proposed chicken sheds MCU12/0184

Subject: vac bcs 870 FYI MAYOR Proposed chicken sheds
From: Kevin Nowland
Date: 2013-11-24T02:42:05+00:00
To: Internet Mailbox Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Dear Mayor

I sent you the email below before the recent meeting where you had to vote on the proposal , however I am now struggling to find a logical reason the  councillors went against the planning staff’s recommendation and actually voted to approve this proposal.

          There had been suggestions that because of the friction associated with de- amalgamation, that some of the councillors may use their voting power to be a last parting shot at Noosa residents and their associated council.  I could not imagine any councillor being so small-minded to do such a thing, but now I’m beginning to wonder.

Fortunately a bit of sanity has prevailed and you get another opportunity to cast a vote on this issue.             I believe the position of councillor is a huge responsibility in the way it affects the lives of the people you represent, so I am concerned there is another agenda going on here.

The health issues and road safety issues that have been raised are life and death issues for real people, that you will  be morally accountable for, if this proposal goes ahead on your vote.  I would urge you to imagine that this proposal was being built next to your property and how it would affect your family, when you consider this again. The decision you make will be a legacy that will remain for time immemorial.

I believe a more sensible solution would be for any decision to be delayed until next year, so that it could be dealt with by the incoming council, as they will be the ones responsible for the road issues and will have to handle the public outcry that is rapidly gathering momentum.

Kind Regards

Kevin Nowland

 

 

From: Kevin Nowland [mailto:[email protected]] 
Sent: Sunday, 10 November 2013 2:51 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: Proposed chicken sheds

 

Dear Mayor,

                    We have lived on Top Forestry Rd for about 30 years, having moved to the countryside for the quality of life.

 

Our gravel road is winding, dusty, and substandard, but we have put up with this because of the other benefits – quietness and clean air and water.

 

We were therefore dismayed to hear that an application had been made to run chicken meat barns in our neighbourhood. We heard about the application from a neighbour after the objection date, because the applicant had not put the signs in visible positions.

 

               As we have had the opportunity to look into the the size of this proposal further and look at the affects of similar operations else ware, we are even more horrified about the effect it will have on ours and our neighbours quality of life and the environment.

  

The land is steep and inappropriate for buildings of this size. The Milligans have had a mango and avocado farm for many years, but this is not sustainable farming in the normal sense. These are huge sheds, require massive earthworks and will lead to even more soil erosion and pollution of the water ways in these valleys.

 

From talking to other people where similar chicken barns operate, it will cause airborne pollution of our drinking water, offensive odour and attract wild dogs and vermin to the area.

 

           Our biggest concern of all however is the road. Accidents are a regular event, with three outside our gate over the past year. Because the road is winding and narrow, meeting a truck while driving is real event and our daughter had to go off the road into a ditch recently to avoid a collision with the school bus. 

We believe the road conditions make it totally unsuitable for large trucks, plus we would be subjected to the dust and noise that they will produce.

 

            The majority of local residents are against this proposal for similar reasons  i.e  the pollution, noise, road danger and land degradation.

 

          We believe that the council staff were thorough and objective in their report and would urge all councillors to follow their recommendation and reject it also.

 

 

Kind Regards

Kevin Nowland