Response to oustanding issues Animal Husbandry MCU12/0184

                                                                                 MW A Environmental




1.0       INTRODUCTION

   1.1               PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT

   MWA Environmental has been       engaged by W Donald Milligan Pty Ltd to
   prepare    Preliminary Operational Management Plan for a proposed
                 a

   development of eight (8)poultry growing sheds at Ridgewood.

   This document has been prepared in response to a Sunshine Coast Regional
   Council ("SCRC") ’Outstanding Issues Request’ (28 June 2013) ("the
   outstanding issues request"). The relevant extract from the outstanding
   issues request is as follows:

          A Preliminary Operational Management Plan is required, which addresses how the proposed Poultry
          Farm is to operate, including:
             .    Construction phase of the sheds;
             .
                  Timing and duration of the various stages of the poultry and existing avocado farming
                 operations (including number of people on-site, seasonality etc.);
                  The staggering of the poultry sheds, in terms of life cycle and clean out of sheds (include
                 details on their arrival and departure from the farm, feeding regimes, cleaning process etc);
             .    The use of the waste on the existing avocado operation (including quantities, dispersion
                 methods and timing), include details from an agricultural scientist about the new fertiliser
                 regimes as opposed to the existing quantities;
             .
                  Any other details describing the proposed use, including storage of manure, which is based on
                 the use and operation of similar sheds and where possible comparing with other farms which
                 utilise on-site produced chicken manure on crops.




   The purpose of this document is to inform SCRC regarding the integrated
   operation of the proposed poultry farm and the existing avocado farm. This
   document is not intended to act as an operational manual for the site.


   Development approvals for poultry farms commonly require that a Site-Based
   Environmental Management Plan be implemented prior to the commencement
   of   use.     The Site-Based Environmental                  Management Plan will outline the
   environmental management responsibilities, actions, performance criteria and
   potential corrective actions to minimise the potential for environmental harm
   and/or nuisance from the activity.


   As far as applicable and            practicable to the site, the poultry growing, litter
   stockpiling and litter spreading procedures will be undertaken in accordance
   with    the   recommendations outlined             in       relevant   regulatory   and   industry
   guidance, including:

             Queensland         Department      of    Agriculture,        Fisheries    and   Forestry
             Guidelines: Meat Chicken Farms (2012)

             NSW Department of Primary Industries Best Practice Management for
             Meat Chicken Production in NSW                -
                                                               Manual 2   -
                                                                              Meat Chicken Growing
             Management (2012)
             Rural Industries Research and                 Development Corporation           National
             Environmental Management System for the Meat Chicken Industry                            -




             Publication No. 03/038 (2003)




Ridgewood 12-002                                  1                              11 September 2013