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MCU14/0028 - PM Submission Object Audrey & Keith Johnson
Audrey & Keith Johnson
707 Belli Creek Road
Cooroy Qld 4563
Noosa Shire Council
Development Counter
POBox141
Tewantin Qld 4565 30 JUN 20U
To Whom it May Concern: Tewantin
Re: Chook Tractor Proposal
Development Application MCU14j0028
We write to request that the Noosa Shire Council REJECTthis DA for
a Material Change of use to 317 Lawnville Road, Black Mountain from
ANIMAL HUSBANDRYTYPE 1 - TRADITIONAL to ANIMAL
HUSBANDYTYPE 2 - INTENSIVE.
My husband and I live across the road from this property and believe
that this change of use will directly impact the area negatively in
many different ways.
1. The surrounding area has been, in previous years, subdivided
into lifestyle blocks and has brought into the area many
families that have decided to move to here because of the
beauty, peace and tranquility. There is no previous history of
intensive animal farming in this area. My husband and I
purchased in 1988 and moved a Queenslander home from
Tewantin onto the land. At the time we researched the area
and it was rural, but not intensive animal farming but the local
dairy. The lay ofthe land is major slip zoning which would stop
any major intensive farming with its associated noise and
pollution as there are no level areas of land to suggest that it
would be possible. We would suggest that to allow an
intensive chook farm right in the middle of these lifestyle
properties would impact greatly on the lifestyle choices that
many families in the area have chosen. The area presents itself
as Rural Residential and the previous councils maybe should
have rezoned the area to Rural Residential when they allowed
the land to be cut up in to lifestyle blocks with associated curb
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and channeling in the Noosa Hills Estate and the upgrading of
Lawnville and Belli Creek Roads.
2. The area is a major tourism draw card. Weekends will find
many different groups - bicyclists. car clubs, marathon
runners, motor cycle enthusiasts all enjoying the beauty and
views of the Noosa Hinterland. During the week it is a major
exercise area for our local cyclists. Often they stop at the top
and look to the views, the lakes and ocean in the north and Mt
Cooroy in the East. I often thought that Council would make
the corner of Lawnville and Belli Creek Roads into a proper
lookout for people to stop and enjoy.
3. Chook framing by its very nature is a farming business that has
many reasons to look at its impact on the area seriously. Our
concerns are:
i) Rodents and vermin - At the moment there is no
problem with rats, cockroaches, and flies. Introducing
intensive chicken farming into the area will bring
unwanted vermin into the area. There already is a
problem of wild dogs, which generally, with occasional
baiting is under control. This intensive farming will
bring into the area these dogs, as well as more chicken
hawks for the easy pickings, which will be a threat to the
local pets and lifestyle chooks that are in the area.
ii) Noise - The area is a natural ampitheatre. Noise travels
easily in this area. The cackling of 1000 chooks, all day
long would be very invasive. These chooks are gathered
in a very small space, not scattered over the hectares.
They are on the door step of several beautiful family
homes.
iii) The water run off from the droppings of the chooks
would have an impact downstream, introducing a real
risk of algal blooms and degrading of the habitats
downstream.
iv) Land slippage - this property is all lands lip. Having
intensive farming on a slope, as the intent, will degrade
the slope with the chook activity and the water runoff
from the tractor/trailers will exasperate the natural lay
of the land and make it more prone to slippage.
v) Visually the owners of 317 Lawnville Road intend to put
in old caravans to house the chooks, not what they
pictorially show in their submission to council. What an
eyesore on a hill that is viewed by many, not only
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neighbours, but tourists and athletes as mentioned
previously.
vi) Smell - Chook droppings notoriously have a very nasty
odour. With the elevation of these 1000 chooks, the
smell will travel wherever the winds blows at the time.
Something that not one single neighbor has to deal with
at the moment and should not have to either.
4. Another great concern that we have is that there are no shade
trees for the chooks nor the cows. The land seems to be
divided into lots and the cows and chooks will be moved
regularly. There are minimal shade trees in these lots to enable
the animals to find shade during our summer days, which we
are lucky to have 75% ofthe year.
5. The owners openly admit that their intent is to grow the farm
from 1000 chooks to 5000 chooks as soon as they can do so. If
the neighbours already are having their lifestyle of peace and
quiet being challenged by 1000, what will happen to the area
when it is increased. By the owners own admission this is their
intent.
6. The owners intend to compost the dead chooks on the property
in open bins. Really!!! What will stop the wild dogs, the birds
of prey, the rats. My goodness. They give examples of this
happening in the USA. The climate in the USAis totally
different that here. The owners have again indicated that they
will be allowed to do this and are not concerned with what
council thinks?????
7. Noise. The owners intend to attend to the chooks, first thing
in the morning and last thing at night, with their small truck. AS
mentioned previously, noise will be a factor. It isn't the same
as calling the cows to come get milked.
8. Accessing the chooks, I suggest that in inclement weather, ie
periods of heavy rain, which we get regularly, this will be
impossible. This vehicle will not be able to make it up and
down the slopes leaving the animals exposed to wild life and
vermin.
In closing, we ask the Council to Reject this DAon the following
grounds:
1. Noise
2. Smell
3. Vermin
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4. Inappropriate use of land in the area ie by impacting on
neighbours rights to enjoy their lifestyle, through noise, flies,
rats and wild dogs.
5. The area would better be used to develop more into a tourism
attraction and not intensive farming.
6. Inappropriate visual impact (ugly caravans that are hippy
painted)
7. Animal cruelty (no shade or water readily accessible in the
lots)
8. The intent of the owners to increase this farming adventure to
the next stage of 5000 birds.
9. Devaluation of surrounding lifestyle properties, which have
been bought for the peace quiet and beauty of the area.
If Council does approve this application, is it possible to put
restrictions on the approval
a) no onsite composting,
b) the visual nature of the caravans, need to be more like the ones
they put in their application,
c) no permanently mounted caravans,
d) appropriate water and shade for the animals,
e) a guarantee that wild dogs and vermin (including flies) are not
encouraged and if they are prevalent, immediate remedial action
taken upon when a complaint from neighbours is received.
t) Noise is between acceptable hours. The travel by vehicle limited
to and from the caravans between 6am and 6pm for example. Also
water pumping limited to these time guidelines.
On closing, The Noosa Shire Council needs to address the amenity of
this area, as a blue chip destination for tourism and related activities
now and in the future Noosa Plan. The proposed Cooroy Broiler
Farm has impacted horribly on the people in the area and collectively
they are not wanting to "rock the boat" in objecting to this
application, as they feel we will be sounding like a bunch of whingers
and are trying to stay focused on stopping the Broiler Farm. I
understand that, but once you open the gates to this intensive style
farming, where will it stop? Are we to become the Chook Capital of
the Noosa Hinerland?? Please consider the application and REJECT
IT.
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Petition to the Noosa Shire Council
Re: Chook Tractor Proposal
We the undersigned request that the Noosa Shire Council reject Development
Application MCU14/0028 for a material change of use to 317 Lawnville Road
Black Mountain from Animal Husbandry Type 1 - Traditional to Animal
Husbandry Type 2 - Intensive on the following grounds:
1. Devaluation of surrounding land values: The $ purchase prices of properties
neighbouring 317 Lawnville Rd have factored in the tranquillity offered by the current rural
nature of this valley. Local owners are therefore concerned that approval of this application
by the Noosa Shire Council to introduce an intensive chook farm to the immediate vicinity
will result in a devaluation of our properties and make them harder to sell in the future.
Whilst the Henbury Trust state that they have met the minimum set backs required by
Council for noise, smell etc and met other minimum conditions, there is no local precedent
to know whether these will be sufficient to offset resulting noise and smell. ft is clear that
the cackling of an additional 800 - 900 laying chooks, and the constant activity to service
the chook tractors and meat hens at all hours of the day will disturb the peace and quiet
that currenlly exists and result in a reduced quality of life for neighbours.
2. Local precedent: West Cooroy residents are already engaged in a battle to prevent a
broiler farm being introduced to the area. Approval of the Henbury Trust application will
create a precedent for other farmers/developers in the surrounding area to seek approval
for more intensive land uses in the valley (and indirectly strengthen the broiler farm
proposal).
3. Vermin: The presence of so many extra chooks in the valley may attract greater numbers
of wild dogs and foxes. If electric fencing and night-time lockdowns make the chooks
difficult to access, then domestic pets, livestock and chooks of neighbours will be at greater
risk. Additional vermin may also be attracted if the composting of dead chooks is allowed.
4. Habitat: The potential for waste from 1000 chooks to enter the headwaters of 6 Mile
Creek during heavy rains raises concerns for potential algal blooms further downstream
and detriment to the existing habitat of local platypi, frogs and other aquatic animals.
Signed
Name Address Date
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Document Set ID: 19727292
Version: 1, Version Date: 01/07/2014