General News
21 March, 2025
Broiler farms investigated
The Central Goldfields Shire Council are investigating Pavilion Farms on possible compliance issues, fulfilling concerns raised by councillors when originally approved.
The Central Goldfields Shire Council are coordinating an investigation with the EPA into some of Pavilion Farms’ existing broiler sites.
A letter between council and a community member from February, shared with The Maryborough District Advertiser, said council are “liaising with the EPA over time” to investigate and communicate with the operator in regards to the respective planning permit and the Broiler Farm code requirements of the sites.
“It is understood that full compliance with planning permit requirements has not been realised at this time,” it read.
However, speaking to The Advertiser, a council spokesperson was unable to comment on any investigation “should one exist”.
It is understood the letter is in reference to 683 Baringhup Road, Carisbrook which were approved unanimously by council in 2022. It’s unclear if the letter extends to additional sites.
The planning permit was approved at the time with 43 conditions despite multiple councillors raising concerns.
Councillor Geoff Lovett said at the time former council had a duty to monitor the permit conditions.
“In my opinion, we as a council not only approve applications but have an ongoing duty of care to ensure permit conditions are maintained for the well-being of all of our residents,” he said.
Former councillor Wayne Sproull noted council expected the applicants to adhere to the permit conditions, which he stated council would police.
“We see on numerous occasions, and not particularly in this shire, but these conditions are put into applications and once they’re approved, those conditions aren’t necessarily met,” he said.
“We need the operators of these facilities to be good corporate citizens and council also needs to police these conditions where possible.”
Since council’s decision, community members have raised concerns of the broiler farms compliance.
The letter said the community member had repeatedly contacted council on concerns surrounding “incomplete landscaping works, amenity impacts of the operations including light, odour, noise, dust and visual impacts, and health impacts to surrounding neighbours as well as broader concerns relating to the litter and dead bird management practices”.
Council identified that some of these concerns were related to planning permit conditions, as well as the Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 of which the EPA is the responsible authority.
Owner of Pavilion Farms, Michael Vukadinovic, told The Maryborough District Advertiser that there are no ongoing compliance issues for 683 Baringhup Road, Carisbrook, and that “council had not raised any issues in regards to amenity or operations”.
“One neighbour has raised a number of issues with council and EPA with regards to odour, dust and noise,” he said.
“All issues have been investigated and measurements have been performed by both the EPA and independent experts and the EPA had found compliance with all issues raised. EPA investigations have been completed with no notices for rectification.”
An EPA spokesperson said the EPA has responded to a number of pollution reports that pointed to farms in the Carisbrook/Moolort area. These were in relation to “odour, waste, noise, off-site discharge of wastewater and self-combustion of spent chicken litter”.
“EPA officers have conducted on-site inspections, noise monitoring, odour surveys in the Carisbrook area, and issued regulatory notices requiring operators to improve the management of chicken carcasses,” they said.
A council spokesperson said there was an “anomaly” on permits granted in relation to the manage-ment of bird carcasses which has since been amended.
The EPA spokesperson said the regulatory notices have also been withdrawn.
Mr Vukadinovic said trees have been planted, as per the permit conditions, and that there is no compliance issue outstanding in relation to the dead bird composting.
The permit states that spent litter “must be removed from the property and must not be stockpiled” and that “any temporary stockpiling must be done on an impervious surface, appropriately bunded and located 100 m from any waterway/drainage line”.
However, since January at least, litter has been stockpiled along the fenceline at Hurses Lane within close proximity of 683 Baringhup Road, Carisbrook.
Mr Vukadinovic said this is outside the permit conditions due to it being off the broiler farm’s property.
“Spent litter on Hurses Lane is stockpiled on the land of Hurse Farming, not on the broiler farm property which is [compliant] with the planning permit,” he said.
However, the planning permit said the proposal is “primarily sited” on a lot including this land pre-sumably making it a part of the planning permit and a breach of compliance. Mr Vukadinovic did not respond to clarify this.
Council’s spokesperson told The Maryborough District Advertiser they are focusing their “limited resources” on assessing new permit applications.
“Compliance matters are prioritised in consultation with other regulators and will be dealt with in due course,” they said.
Pavilion Farms currently has applications for two further broiler farms which council plan on deciding on in the first quarter of 2025.
Despite there being an ongoing investigation into pre-existing broiler farms compliance with permit conditions, council’s spokesperson told The Advertiser that this can’t inform council’s decision making.
“Council has been advised that any identified non-compliance with existing permits can not be considered in the assessment of new permit applications,” they said.
A nearby neighbour to the broiler farms, who asked to remain anonymous, said an ongoing compliance investigation should be considered when making a decision.
“It doesn’t make sense, it’s a flawed process. Those aspects should be taken into account,” they said.