Council lays down egg farming rules

By Sarah Schwager
TOORADIN residents have again spoken out against a proposed egg farm that they say would destroy their seaside community.
More than 100 people met last week at the Tooradin Sports Club at a hastily called public meeting with Casey mayor Colin Butler to inform those still left in the dark and decide on an appropriate action.
On Tuesday night the applicant and objectors to the proposal were invited to speak at a council planning committee meeting.
The application is still to be considered by the council but at the meeting councillors decided this would not happen until the applicant had completed an environmental impact study.
Cr Butler said councillors asked for the report after hearing the arguments of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
In the presentation, applicant David Proctor gave his case for the egg farm, to be built on the South Gippsland Highway and to include five layer sheds holding up to 50,000 birds, three rearing sheds, 16 silos and a packing and sales building.
He argued that the egg farm was a legitimate agricultural enterprise and assured it could retain runoff, odour and dust and so would not pollute the environment.
However, Martin O’Shaughnessy and Janine Price from the EPA said agriculture described mainstream farming such as beef, sheep, grain and crops, not egg farms.
Speaking against the proposal, they feared the farm risked harming the natural habitat of Western Port because it would be located in a flood zone.
Also speaking before the Planning Committee on behalf of residents was Tooradin’s Janet Abelthorpe who said she could not believe such a plan was even being considered because of its close proximity to town and residential properties.
“The whole community is absolutely gobsmacked that such a development could be contemplated where they are planning to do it,” Mrs Abelthorpe said. “That was very clear from the meeting last week.”
Cr Butler said while the council agreed the farm was a legitimate enterprise, it did not meet planning guidelines because of its amenity to town and prevailing winds, which blow in a westerly direction.
He said the application may not be considered until the end of July as the council had also decided at the meeting to now hold planning meetings once a month rather than once a fortnight.