August 21, 2019
Concerns a new piggery project might lower the value of nearby properties have failed to block an artificial breeding centre in Greenview.
At Wednesday’s monthly meeting, the South Burnett Regional Council approved a material change of use application for a property owned by Andrew and Patricia Morris at 252 Hansen’s Road.
The couple’s piggery project aims to collect and store semen from 100 boars.
Councillors heard the 82ha rural site, located 1.6km north of Tingoora and 1.5km south-west of Wondai, would not be used for meat production.
At present, the site has a detached dwelling along with a number of sheds and several bores, and is used for grazing.
Councillors were told the project would be built in three stages over the coming six years.
The first stage would see a 490sq m piggery shed built, along with a 36sq m demountable laboratory and an 18sq m storage building.
In the second stage, another 490sq m piggery shed, incorporating an amenities room, a staff room and a laboratory, would be added.
These would be joined by a 324sq m storage shed in the final stage, accompanied by the removal of the demountable laboratory and smaller storage building.
When fully operational, the piggery will have a maximum carrying capacity of 160 Standard Pig Units.
The piggery sheds will have extraction fans and curtained sides with electronically controlled blinds to assist with ventilation and temperature control.
Animal waste will be regularly flushed and collected in enclosed aerobic and anaerobic tanks.
These tanks, along with probiotic treatments applied to the floor of the piggeries, would reduce odours.
In addition, six 5000 gallon tanks and an overflow tank will collect effluent for treatment, and a 10-week pump cycle will distribute the sludge into ground broken up by ripping.
Because the site will not be used for meat production, onsite activities would be much different to a traditional piggery and there would be far less heavy vehicle movements, odour and noise emissions.
Officers recommended Council approve the development subject to a range of conditions, which included planting a 20m wide native vegetation screen along 100m of the property fronting Hansen’s Road.
Mayor Keith Campbell said he supported the proposal because of the big role the pig industry played in the region’s economy, and the project’s potential to create jobs.
Cr Terry Fleischfresser agreed.
“This is a significant project to add to the South Burnett’s pork industry,” he said.
Cr Ros Heit said approving the project was “a bit of a balancing act” because few people wanted to live near a piggery.
“We always want new businesses in our area and boar semen collection is new to our area,” she said.
However, Cr Heit said she believed the new business would have few negative effects, and the vegetation barrier would help minimise disruptions to neighbours.
“I’m confident this will be a benefit to the economy of our region,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff said she was aware of the concerns of nearby residents, but the Council didn’t have any sound planning reasons to reject the proposal.
“We’ve done everything we can to minimise the impact on neighbouring residents,” she said.
The motion to accept the officers’ recommendations was moved by Cr Fleischfresser, seconded by Cr Heit and carried unanimously.
