AN $8 million hatchery turning out three million one-day-old chicks every week has been approved for building in Tamworth this year – despite strong objections from nearby residents.
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Seventeen people objected to Tamworth Regional Council, citing noise, disease risk, external appearance, odour and air quality/dust among their
complaints.
But poultry producing and processing giant Baiada was given the go-ahead to build its new plant during a meeting of the council's services and infrastructure committee on Tuesday night.
Now some of those residents are considering lodging an appeal to the Land and Environment Court.
Development and approvals manager David Lewis said the hatchery would employ 16 people at its 1a Rural-zoned 40ha site off Country Rd in Westdale. It would produce broiler stock to supply Baiada's processing plant and, at full capacity, would comprise 83 hatcheries and 29 hatchery rooms.
Entry to the site would be about 680m from the intersection of Country Rd and the Oxley Highway.
Mr Lewis said trucks with tri-axle trailers would deliver fertile eggs from local breeder farms to the hatchery, with each trailer capable of holding up to 260,000 eggs. Council's general manager Glenn Inglis said it was a huge operation and would indirectly produce extra employment and income for other local businesses, such as fuel suppliers and mechanical workshops.
He believed Baiada was "keen to go full bore" in getting the project up and running.
The project was also confirmation that Baiada was strengthening its presence in the region "and that can only be good news".
The Leader unsuccessfully sought comment from Baiada, but residents Brett and Anne Cruickshank, Craig Mearns and Julie Fishenden said they believed the site was entirely inappropriate. They argued Baiada should have been offered alternative land by the council, perhaps near the lamb and beef abattoirs at Westdale.
Mrs Fishenden said those who opposed the development had offered to buy the land from Baiada without success.
They will meet within the next few days to consider whether an appeal should be lodged.
Mr Inglis, who met them on site yesterday, said they were entitled to appeal, but he did not elaborate.
The objectors said they had been advised their land values would drop and, apart from their formal objections, there were other considerations such as the land being too close to Westdale Public School and residential properties.
