Not Properly Made Submission (Late) Rod Ritchie MCU12/0184

Subject: col BCS 1192 MCU12/0184 Submission Attention: Jack Lewis
From: Rod Ritchie
Date: 2013-06-12T02:24:29+00:00
To: Internet Mailbox Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Hi Mr Lewis,

As discussed on the phone today, I present my grounds for objecting to this development application.

Looking carefully though the applicant's Response to Information Request dated 8 May 2013 (a response to the Council's 10 December 2012  Information Request for much more detail on the project) you can now clearly see both the huge scale of the proposal along with the many development issues that weren't clear from reading the original development application. 

Prime among these is the revelation that the poultry growing operation will now effectively include a fertiliser manufacturing operation.

Considering the revised application was not presented to council until 8 May 2013 (five months after the initial proposal was presented) and that there are now two material changes of use, I'd suggest there are grounds for extending the submission dates for public comment. 

Some basic facts about the proposal

1. 
Eight 100m x 16.5 m sheds are to be constructed along ridge-line contours and embankment cuttings. This is the equivalent of 1.3ha (3,6 acres) of shed space

2. 
Each shed will house and rear 180,000 birds per year (six two-month growing cycles of 30,000 birds). The eight sheds will therefore annually produce 1,440,000 grown birds.

3.
The proposal suggests a symbiotic relationship with the current 7000-tree avocado orchard by utilisation of shed waste. But, in reply to Council's request for traffic estimates from the orchard to be added to the poultry farm estimates, owner now contends that the orchard will change from a commercial operation to just being a "hobby".

4.
The local sealed and unsealed rural roads are inappropriate for B doubles and other heavy vehicles. Top Forestry road is a quagmire after rain, and it will be a total bog spot for large trucks. 

5.
Only 20% of the site made fertiliser (sawdust with poultry manure) can be used on the property without risking water quality, so basically the project is a fertiliser production facility as well as a poultry farm since it is estimated that 1,680,000 kg of fertiliser will be generated each year (3600 m3). With 80% of the fertiliser being taken off the farm each year, this equates to around 2880 m3 of quality fertiliser to sell per year in addition to the poultry raising. 

Surely this further activity calls for another development application.


Basically the objections would fall into the following main categories.

Project scale
In a word: massive. For a quiet rural area with just basic road infrastructure, this is a development right out of scale.

Noise pollution
Generated from shed ventilator fans and feed delivery fans, bird noise, shed maintenance, site machinery and increased heavy vehicle traffic.

Odour pollution
Exacerbated by earth floors in the sheds (subject to ground water seepage) over-layed by sawdust being subject to high summer temperatures. Further exacerbated by poor ventilation to many of the sheds caused by inappropriate alignment for the prevailing winds due to site restrictions.

Wastewater issues
Proposed basins, swales and buffers are just passive design elements rather than proper treatment of waste and subsequent sheetflow runoff will end up in the catchment wterways. The MUSIC stormwater treatment model used in the application was designed for urban areas and is in no way applicable for this operation where contaminated groundwater from unsealed shed floors will leach from under the sheds to surrounding areas. At peak rainfall times of the year, contaminated run-off will overwhelm vegetated farm areas and transfer to the property dams and into Blackfellow Creek, a tributary of the Mary River. 

Traffic issues
Includes heavy vehicles, including the proposed use of B Doubles, used to deliver and remove sawdust, feed, birds, water (seasonally), and car traffic from the many staff vehicles. Obviously school busses and large trucks should not be mixed.

Visual amenity issues
Severe visual disturbance from the siting of buildings on ridge-lines. Even with proposed tree planing this development is going to be an eyesore for years to come.


Please confirm via email that you have received this document.

Regards, Rod

Rod Ritchie
423 Old Ceylon Rd
West Cooroy
5442 6776