New South Wales Chicken Farm Development Halted

AUSTRALIA - The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has temporarily halted progress on Baiada's 2.5-million bird broiler farm planned for Manilla, 45km north-west of Tamworth in New South Wales.
calendar icon 20 March 2014
clock icon 3 minute read

Tamworth Regional Council says the EPA wants more information before completing its submission on the proposed 70-shed development, which is spread over five independent farms, according to ABC.

Director of Planning, Jackie Kruger, says additional modelling data is required in relation to odour and dust concerns, delaying the assessment of the proposal by Council staff.

Public submissions closed on 3 March.

Ms Kruger says the EPA is working with Baiada Poultry to get the extra information needed.

She explained: "The EPA is working directly with the proponent because this is an integrated development [and] the EPA will be considering the application and then giving general terms of agreement.

"The EPA did get hold of us within the first 25 days of seeing the application and indicated to Council it was likely to ask for further information, which them temporarily stops the clock while that further information is sought."

Both the Environment Protection Authority and the NSW Office of Water have sought additional information from Baiada.

Ms Kruger was unable to say how long it will be before the development goes before Council for a decision but she said the process cannot proceed without the two reports.

"Once that gets done, and we've given Baiada the opportunity to reflect on all the submissions that have come from the public, the [DA] will then be in a position to go to Council, if the two state agencies have given general terms of agreement," Ms Kruger told ABC.

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