Bird plan hatched

By Paul Dunlop
THE state planning umpire has given the goahead to controversial plans to develop a 200,000 bird broiler farm at Yannathan.
Eight months after Albert Schembri had his application rejected by Cardinia Shire Council, the Victorian Civil and Adminstrative Tribunal (VCAT) overturned council’s decision on appeal.
Despite claims the site could be subject to flooding, VCAT members Laurie Hewet and MaryAnne Taranto ordered that a permit be granted.
Mr Hewett and Ms Taranto said they were satisfied the proposal did not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment and could be approved, subject to conditions.
Mr Schembri welcomed the tribunal decision which vindicated his plans to establish a fourshed broiler farm on what is currently grazing land for dairy cattle.
“Justice has been done,” he said.
“I’m very happy, it was a good result.”
It was the second time Mr Schembri had been before VCAT.
A previous proposal for a sixshed operating totalling 300,000 birds was disallowed last year.
The latest application was for an operation in a new location closer to South Yannathan Road.
Mr Schembri said his plans would deliver in a stateoftheart operation using the latest in broilerkeeping technology.
But the tribunal decision was met with dismay by many in the small Yannathan community.
More than 20 residents strongly opposed the proposal when it went before the council in February and they maintained their opposition during the VCAT hearing.
Broiler farms have long been an issue of controversy in the Yannathan area.
Residents did not wish to comment to the Gazette but Cardinia Shire Port Ward councillor Doug Hamilton said objectors were very disappointed.
He said the decision went down like a “lead balloon” in the community.
“People feel very aggrieved, they went to a lot of trouble, time and effort to put their case,” Cr Hamilton said.
Cr Hamilton said he maintained the views he expressed when the council voted against the application. Cr Hamilton said the land was not suitable.
“I’m not opposing the chicken industry, I’m saying that intensive farming of any kind is not appropriate on a floodplain,” Cr Hamilton said.