Ridgewood_12-002_PrelimOMP_110913

                                                                MWA Environmental




     All plantings on the property currently receive poultry manure as their pre-
     planting preparation as has been used throughout the various crops grown
     at the site for over 20 years. The only constraint to using poultry manures
     more extensively at present is the cost of getting the material onto site.
     Poultry manure is the perfect fertiliser for avocados when supplemented
     with the other necessary elements.

     Pruning happens in these stages:

              1.      Shape
              2.      Size
              3.      Light
              4.      Skirt

     All of these duties are completed with staff by mechanical methods e.g.
     pruning machine, chainsaws, handsaws and secateurs. This is an ongoing
     rotation.

     The farm progresses through fertilising, foliar applications for flowering and
     fruit set. Injections for prevention of phytophthora are required, a cost which
     will be reduced when the composted material is able to be utilised at the
     orchard.

     Once fruit reached pin-head size and greater (typically by the end of
     October) then nutrition, irrigation, best farming practices apply until harvest
     cycle begins.

     All other farming jobs can be scheduled to accommodate the harvest and
     inclusive of pruning after trees are stripped, needling etc. The mulching
     operation and staff available through the year make the operational process
     of spreading the composted material to integrate into the existing practice.
     The necessary equipment and knowledge is already available at the farm,
     with the addition of the selected compost turning machine to prepare the
     material the only additional requirement.

     Based upon the above, the applicant has advised that there is significant
     flexibility in the scheduling of avocado operations to ensure that peak
     activities do not coincide with peak activity at the poultry farm. The avocado
     operations are able to be scheduled around the broiler activities (e.g. shed
     preparation, bird pick-ups) to avoid on-site conflict. This management will
     ensure that traffic impacts on the external network are not a concern.




Ridgewood 12-002                        14                      11 September 2013