2022-12-12 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                  12 DECEMBER 2022


single complainant has also been received on a single occasion. A summary of the concerns are
outlined as follows:
•     Operating with additional persons
•     Vehicle noise during the night and light pollution upon entry to the premises
•     Noise disturbance during the night – possible emissions from the carcass transfer
•     Potential for odour from the facility
•     Odour Septic Tank System
Council’s Development Compliance Officer and Environmental Health Coordinator have
investigated all complaints received and concluded that the business is operating in compliance
with all development approval conditions and no environmental nuisance is occurring under the
Environmental Protection Act 1994.
Operating with additional persons
The applicant advises that the use is operated by the permanent resident of the property, with no
evidence provided by complainants that the business includes employees. Upon investigation of
this issue, the applicant advised that they had friends attending their property who were not
involved in or engaged by the business.
Vehicle noise during the night and light pollution upon entry to the property
The noise from the harvesting vehicle entering the property with carcasses once per week would
not satisfy the requirements of the general emissions criteria as a nuisance in relation to its
frequency and duration. The vehicle is driven directly to the manufacturing facility at the back of
the property.
Proof of the vehicle’s lights being dimmed upon entry to the property has been demonstrated by
correlating video footage supplied to Council by both parties.
Light spillage from the vehicle is unlikely to occur once the vehicle is on the driveway due to
bamboo screening and the presence of vegetation between the 2 properties. Specifically, light
spillage is limited to the closest neighbour’s property in the direction of the basketball hoop and
garage door, noting no windows at 90 Patterson Drive are observed from the driveway entrance of
82 Patterson Drive.
In terms of the emissions criteria as stated above, the vehicle noise during the night and light
pollution upon entry to the property would not constitute a breach as defined by an environmental
nuisance.
Noise disturbance during the night - possible emissions from the carcass transfer
Likely sources of noise emission from this activity have been investigated:
(a)   The hooks on the harvesting vehicle are fixed and therefore unlikely to cause noise when
      carcasses are being moved.
(b)   The Gambrel (butcher’s hook for the skid rail inside the facility) is already in place at the
      entrance of the facility. The carcass is lifted onto the Gambrel, the skid rail is not used when
      the facility doors are open.
(c)   There is a mesh curtain on the vehicle which is drawn but is unlikely to create any significant
      noise. The length of time between arrival of the vehicle and entry to the residence located at
      82 Patterson Drive is a maximum of 15 minutes.
In terms of the emissions criteria under the Environmental Protection Act the alleged noise
disturbance during the night would not constitute a breach as defined by an environmental
nuisance.
Potential for odour from the facility
The facility is hermetically sealed as per the requirements of Food Safe Qld. This creates a
negative pressure inside the facility. There are 2 filters on the extraction unit – internal and external.

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