Response to oustanding issues Animal Husbandry MCU12/0184

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                                                                                   MWA Environmental




             A disinfection process may also be undertaken between batches.


             Litter can be replaced either completely at the end of each batch or partially
             reused   (wet and heavily loaded litter removed and some litter reused).
             Typically, litter moisture content and odour emissions are more readily
             managed if fresh litter is used each batch but ultimately this is a function of
            the management of the farm.               If part of the litter is to be reused for the
            following      batch   then   it   is    usually    piled   within   the   shed   until   the
             commencement of preparation for the arrival of new birds.


             The volume of litter      potentially generated by a full clean-out has been
             calculated as follows for the purpose of designing the stockpile areas:


                             75mm depth         of    litter   within   the   8 sheds    (conservative
                             assumption)
                             full litter replacement of all sheds at the end of each batch
                             (conservative assumption)
                             total floor area of 8 sheds 13,695m2

                             q   Total litter volume of 1 027m3 per batch2




             Poultry farms without the capacity to reuse spent litter on-site export the
             material from site as a waste     product for application on pastures and/or
             composting by an external company. The litter would be collected by an
             approved regulated waste transport company and delivered to the off-site
             location for application or processing. The Hayes Traffic Engineering report
             notes that this litter export process can generate up to 5 additional truck and
             dog trips per day.

             Litter is typically removed from the shed using a bobcat or small tractor.


             Shed cleanout is typically undertaken during daylight hours.


             A component of the proposed development is to reuse the spent litter on-
             site   as a   fertiliser for the avocado orchard to largely          replace the use of
             imported fertilisers. For this purpose, the spent litter will be removed from
             the sheds by bobcat, tractor and/or loader and transferred to truck to be
             stockpiled at either of the two bunded stockpile areas. Further details are
             provided in Section 3.1.7 below.

             In the event that litter cannot be stockpiled on the site at the end of a batch
             then, as regularly occurs at poultry farms without the capacity to reuse the
             material on-site, it may be removed from the site as waste.




       20.075 x 13695 1027m3
                     =




       Ridgewood 12-002                                10                          11 September 2013