Planning Statement

        Page 11

The site is not subject to flooding and all structures are clear of the mapped watercourses on the site and
therefore the provisions of the Natural Hazard: Landslide & Flooding Overlay do not apply.

The proposed greenhouses are clear of the bushfire hazard area and therefore are not assessable
development under the requirements of the Bushfire & Acid Sulfate Soils Overlay.

The proposed use of the site for agricultural activities is consistent with the provisions of the
Natural Resources Overlay.

Traffic and Access

Access to the site is via the existing driveway from Lake Macdonald Drive. All heavy vehicle
movements will travel south via Lake Macdonald Drive to Elm Street and Myall Street and then to
the Bruce Highway. Conventional vehicles will also generally travel south to Elm Street.

It is understood that Council has received complaints with regard to the number of trucks accessing
the site. The applicant has advised that these trucks were associated with the construction of an
all weather access to the greenhouses and are not related to ongoing operations such as the
picking of the crop.

Vehicles accessing the site will generally include:

                   •       Class 3 - two axel truck for delivery
                   •       Class 1 – light vehicles (cars and utes) for staff

As the access has now been constructed and the number of large trucks accessing the site will
generally be limited to Class 3 delivery vehicles for the delivery of seedlings (2 trucks a year),
picking seasons (two trucks a week) and delivery of ancillary items such as fertilizer twice a month.

A summary of vehicles types for the operation is shown below:

        Type of Vehicles            No of trips
        Class 3 – two axel          2 trucks/yr for tomato delivery of seedlings
        truck                       2 trucks/yr for cucumber delivery of seedlings

                                    2 trucks/month delivery of fertilizer

                                    4 trucks/week for picking season (12weeks/yr for tomatoes)
                                    4 trucks/week for picking season (12weeks/yr for cucumbers)

        Class 1        –    light   Existing greenhouse (2ha):
        vehicles                    6 to 12 trips morning (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)
                                    6 to 12 trip afternoon (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)
                                    Greenhouse west (2ha):
                                    6 to 12 trips morning (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)
                                    6 to 12 trip afternoon (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)
                                    Greenhouse north (3ha):
                                    18 to 20 trips morning (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)
                                    18 to 20 trip afternoon (based on carpooling 2 to 4 people per car)



It is noted that each greenhouse can employ up to 25 staff per two hectares of greenhouse
however based upon observed trends of staff, most carpool with 2 to 4 staff members sharing a lift
to the work.

The existing access to the site is via the access driveway onto the Lake Macdonald Drive which is
recognised as having reduced site distances. In this regard the applicant is proposing to train
several staff members to become traffic management control officers who would be deployed when
heavy vehicles and staff are leaving the site.

It is also proposed to install ‘trucks turning” signage along the Lake Macdonald Drive frontage to
reflect the traffic entering and leaving the site.