Free Range Piggery Application at Gannawarra.
This is my second letter to the Editor as well as social media on this issue.
One of the reasons I am so opposed to this project is that in 2011 I was part of the Council that granted the permit to a 3000 head free range piggery at Cawardines Road.
In hindsight I regret that this development went ahead. At that time one of the objections was that Gannawarra Shire had no measuring device for this enterprise as there was no precedent in Gannawarra.
Now we have one! The present Gannawarra shire council has before it for decision, an application to set up another free range 5000 head piggery, from the same owners, at Orrs Road, Gannawarra.
The next Council meeting is on Wednesday 10am the 15th June in the senior citizens building next to the railway station.
The application was also before Council on the 18th May but as there were 46 written objections, the decision was deferred till the Councillors met with objectors on 1st June.
Council has a difficult role at times when the greater good clashes with individual people’s point of view.
This may well be such an occasion and to Council’s credit at least they were prepared to listen to some of the objectors.
Twenty one people spoke at the Koroop meeting and took the opportunity to express points of view. No discussion was entered into nor were questions answered.
Not one of the objectors had issues with a free range piggery.
Just not on such a sensitive site.
Council did the same, as Koondrook people will remember, with the all abilities park swing, which design was suggested to be altered prior to construction.
Council refused that suggestion due to much pressure from the Koondrook community.
The background to this piggery application is that an ex dairy farm is proposed to be converted to a free range rotational piggery.
There are many concerns with this as this Gannawarra region is one of the best and most scenic in our Shire.
The area still contains many good Red Gum and Box trees and is not like our ‘plains’ country. There are even remnants of native Tee trees there which only grow on the ‘good country’ in the Shire.
This area also adjoins the Gunbower creek including Safe’s lagoon. The Gunbower creek is a nature paradise with abundances of fish, wild life and birds.
Indeed this area is listed as a Ramsar wetland with a bird colony across the creek on Gunbower Island also listed as a Ramsar bird breeding site. The region is indeed unique. Unrivalled in the Shire? Well maybe not as there are many lovely lagoons along the creek.
A lot of questions are raised as to why this piggery will be different to the previous dairy farm?
A dairy herd is herbivorous and graze grass quite peacefully. Cows will coexist with ground dwelling native animals at this Gannawarra site like Roos and Wallabies, Emus, Echidnas, Koalas, bird life and reptiles. Cows are also herded twice a day to be milked and are quite domesticated. Cows’ effluent is over 90% water.
Pigs however are the direct opposite and are carnivorous and would decimate young animals as well as dig and root up the ground and create wallows. Nothing will be left alive, neither worms, bardy grubs nor baby birds or vegetation.
The proposed grazing pattern will also be such that huge amounts of intense effluent will be deposited. Pig effluent is far more concentrated than cows due to the type of feed as well as to the digestion of each species.
After a period of time the trees will die due to nutrient overload and chemical content. The porous permeable soils of the site will allow nutrients to be carried down to the root zone and the water table.
Who is going to prove to us that this won’t affect the Gunbower creek water and in time the Murray river from its creek tributary?
An example of the free range piggery can be seen at Cawardine’s road nearer to Cohuna. One very important aspect of this spot is the turtle breeding site in the sandy areas around Safe’s lagoon.
The Fresh Water Turtle Association of Australia has an interest in this region with protective work of nesting sites being encouraged and being done. Imagine a turtle crossing a free range piggery!
Pigs are destructive and just ask any locals who hunt pigs in the reed and lignum beds nearby or far away.
Other concerns expressed are smell, noise and dust, prevailing winds, water table contamination, nutrient overload, affect on the natural habitat and waterways and Koondrook township and businesses.
Plus the threat of Japanese encephalitis.
Certainly other agricultural activities also create some of those issues.
However pigs have a differing odour and are classified as noxious.
The public might well think that the EPA will take care of runoff and smells but due to the ceiling of 5000 animals the EPA action is not triggered till this figure is exceeded.
Another argument that was raised is that it’s only the locals objecting as it too close to them.
This is not true as there are many people outside the ‘local’ area that have lodged objections.
One thing that is for sure, live animals create problems and its going to take a special farmer that can reassure me that nothing ever went wrong.
That the cows did not get out on the road or into the wrong paddocks, horses did not get loose, goats or sheep never strayed or that pigs did not get out.
The Shire has actual Ranger staff appointed to deal with that, such is the certainty.
Murphy’s Law will apply and if something can go wrong it will.
Over the past 15-20 years the town of Koondrook has had more Council monies invested per capita than any other Gannawarra town.
The Shire owns the caravan park. The Shire has developed the town streetscape, the statues walk, built the park and performance platform and redgum BBQ shelter, the physical activities exercise equipment, the floating pontoon, the Glamping site (which was awarded an Local Government Professionals Award recently) , the all abilities playground and the Goods shed restaurant. The Shire is now in the process of investigating a rail trail from Kerang to Koondrook. The town is a destination site for Tourism Victoria and the Murray River Adventure Trail from Mildura to Corryong.
The area in question has a canoe launching site, the Wetlander cruises and is a strongly promoted by the Gannawarra Council as a passive tourist site such as fishing, canoeing and walking.
This is wonderful for Koondrook as is the new fish ladder at the twin bridges.
Accommodation venues have been built by private investors, food outlets likewise.
The new proposed free range piggery will be a mere 3km from the town as the crow and the smells fly.
The whole town should be protesting this proposal.
When contacted and asked, the Koondrook Progress Association spokesperson stated that the committee discussed this issue at length but decided to sit on the fence whilst encouraging individual members to have an opinion.
He did admit they get splinters in their bums from fence sitting.
One comment on social media stated the development will be good as much feed and hay will be brought in, there will be work for locals and there will be economic benefits for the shire. Some of that is true. However the company is an overseas investor with four locals employed (as per the application) and most of the revenue raised will be paid to the company overseas shareholders. Council will derive some rates from the site but already did so as a dairy farm. Hay and grain contractors will derive some benefit.
Many conditions are imposed if the enterprise were to proceed. The problem being is the supervision of those conditions. The Council won’t as local laws officers only inspect or supervise if complaints are lodged.
The EPA, CMA, GMW, DEWLP, Agriculture department and Aboriginal Heritage Victoria were all consulted for input but won’t supervise later as these are only interested to impose conditions while construction is taking place.
None of these authorities objected but did they approve?
Besides many conditions were imposed in 2011 as well, but have all these conditions been met and are they being supervised?
Today’s Council should convince itself of this prior to considering this application in 2022.
The council paper work also states there will be no risk or financial impact to council.
So imagine a piggery effluent contamination to the nearby creek. (30Metres).
Cost would be enormous and the impact will be severe.
I’d like you to imagine this.
A similar enterprise at Gum lagoon at Gunbower, or Thompson’s weir at Leitchville, or the second oval at Cohuna or 30 metres from the Quamby weir or maybe at the golf course/footy oval there.
Just imagine a free range piggery next to the back swamp in Kerang.
The Kerang council building would get torn down.Council have allocated $3.58 million to improve the Quambatook weir pool for passive recreation on top of the water purchased previously.
That is wonderful news for Quamby and good for you, Councillors. But at the Gannawarra site, natural irrigation supplies the water and nature has supplied the ideal passive recreation site.
Don’t stuff it up by allowing this free range piggery next to there.
It’s a difficult issue and Council can’t defer forever. One important role for Council is to develop and promote Gannawarra as a destination for business, new residents and visitors.
In other words, to grow Gannawarra.
As I said before not one objector was anti free range piggery, it’s simply the site that is important and deemed not suitable.
As one councillor stated early in the discussion “I would have thought there were more suitable sites in the Shire than this!”
It’s a matter of balance.
How do we keep Gannawarra growing without losing what makes Gannawarra unique?
Yours sincerely,
Keith den Houting. Kerang.
