“THE STAR” Tuesday August 8, 2017 - PAGE 7
Home to animals: objector Adele Upton fears for the impact the broiler farm may have on the environment.
Close by: Kath Goller and Frank Griggs point to the site of the proposed broiler farm, on the cleared hill in the middle ground, from Mr Griggs’ organic beef farm.
Broiler farm battle Neighbours vow to fight proposal all the way WOOREEN residents have pledged not to give up their fight to stop a 400,000 chicken broiler farm proposed for their rural area north of Leongatha. Farmers and lifestyle residents are concerned about risk to water, noise, dust and increased traffic. South Gippsland Shire Council planners are now preparing a report to present to council for a decision. A spokesperson for the proponent, Chicken Farms Australia Pty Ltd, did not wish to comment. The broiler farm is proposed for a property on the corner of Leongatha-Yarragon and Pit roads, next to the Mirboo North Regional Park. Organic beef farmer Frank Griggs will overlook the chicken farm from his lounge window. “I’ve lived here all my life and I’m fifth generation, and this proposal will be a monstrous industrial development,” he said. “It’s a massive industrial development because of the size of the dams, roads and all those buildings.” The proposal is for 10 sheds which will occupy about 5.8 acres – the size of Kath Goller’s lifestyle property. She lives in the valley down the hill from the broiler farm and believes prevailing winds would carry dust laden with pollutants and odour from the farm to her home. She is also worried Boyle Creek, which runs through her property, could be contaminated. Neighbour Jill Forrester said that creek was “full of platypuses, black fish, the whole lot.” “A hill is no place for a broiler farm,” she said. Resident Marilyn Lewis said she can often smell
odour from the Maryvale paper mill north of Morwell at her home. “Imagine what this broiler farm is going to be like? So much for fresh air around here,” she said. Ms Lewis, who used to work at a broiler farm, was concerned about ammonia from chicken urine and other contaminants entering nearby waterways. “This is all dairy and beef grazing up here. It’s all lovely and fresh,” she said. “The council is worried about where all our septics are going at the moment. What about this?” The neighbours said they have been told dead birds will be buried on site and they are worried diseases could end up in the waterways. Additional truck traffic on the Leongatha-Yarragon Road could impact the road’s condition and devalue surrounding properties, Mr Griggs said, while risking the safety of motorists on the winding road, Ms Lewis added. Resident Adele Upton is concerned the broiler farm would affect the environmental value of the Mirboo North Regional Park the farm will adjoin. With large stands of rainforest and being close to Mount Worth State Park, Ms Upton said the Mirboo park’s tourism value should not be underestimated. “This could be a unique little Leongatha’s own Tarra Bulga,” she said, referring to the Tarra Bulga National Park north of Yarram. “We need to educate the public about the diverse flora and fauna in these last remnant forests of Strzelecki bioregion vegetation and fauna habitat. “The proposed broiler farm is something of huge concern because of the impact it could have on steering this area towards a foul, inappropriate development.” Ms Upton is concerned the broiler farm could im-
pact the potable water supplies of Dumbalk and Meeniyan given the farm is within the catchment of the Tarwin River from which these towns’ water is sourced, as well as threaten fishlife. “Once one broiler farm goes in, they could just go through the area,” she said. Ms Upton is pleading with the landowners to attract an investor to conserve the environment and possibly grow waratahs, which she said are in demand overseas. “That could bring industry to Leongatha and support the flower festival and support boutique accommodation in the area,” she said. “The council has to seriously consider the impacts and how they are steering this area away from what its true potential could be.”
Ambos quick off the mark But MP calls for government to do more By Tayla Kershaw SOUTH Gippslanders still believe ambulances are taking too long to arrive to callouts, despite official figures showing improvements in response times. That is the word from Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien. The latest figures show that in South Gippsland Shire, 47.6 percent of ambulances now arriving within 15 minutes for code one emergencies, up from 40.2 per cent compared to the same time last year. In Bass Coast Shire, while the number of code one cases responded to in less than 15 minutes dropped, the average code one response time improved by 40 seconds. But Mr O’Brien said more could be done to improve these times in South Gippsland. “It’s disappointing that after all the noise the Labor Government has made about ambulance services, our response times are still not good in the country. I’ve had a number of complaints in South Gippsland about incidents where ambulances have taken a long time to arrive,” he said. “When you live in the country, you accept that there’ll be some challenges due to distance, but this is not good enough. Labor has put too much focus on the city at the cost of Gippsland services.” Mr O’Brien said the government had also changed the criteria for code one responses, so it could be difficult to compare statistics from previous years. “Our ambulance officers, and volunteers that support them, do a great job but they’re being let down by a citycentric government,” he said. Ambulance Victoria attributed fluctuating numbers in statistics to decreased case loads in South Gippsland and
Bass Coast. “These areas have a relatively small case load, covering a small population across a wide geographical area, so response times can fluctuate,” Ambulance Victoria active group manager Dave Rice said. “However, we know more needs to be done to meet our target and com• Gippsland South munity expectations, and are committed to conMLA Danny we tinued improvement. O’Brien. “We’ve implemented a revised clinical response model focused on providing the more appropriate response to all patients to ensure ambulances are available for emergencies.” According to Mr Rice, around 50,000 people a year who previously received an emergency ambulance are being safely and appropriately referred to an alternative or non emergency service, or provided with self care advice. Bass MLA Brian Paynter believed the ambulance service in Bass Coast was performing well, but he is still concerned about the lack of funding for Bass Coast Health. “The main area of complaint is from Phillip Island, where delays can occur due to ambulances being off the Island. In some situations, an ambulance is required from Grantville,” he said. “My main area of concern is the lack of funding at the Wonthaggi Hospital. As a result of the hospital not being subregional, patients are being transferred up to Dandenong and Berwick, which takes ambulances out of the area for long periods and costs the Wonthaggi Hospital millions
BUILDING OR RENOVATING?
Contentious development: “It’s just a big factory plonked in the middle of the bush,” said objector Marilyn Lewis of the 400,000 chicken broiler farm proposed for a paddock behind this forested land.
of dollars. “The sooner we get a new emergency department and the upgrade to the hospital, the better. Hospital and ambulance services will improve.” Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said the State Government would work to provide appropriate healthcare for all Victorians, no matter where they live.
Call Capeview Your local manufacturer today Frames and trusses Aluminum windows and doors Shower screens Security doors Kitchens and cabinetry Robe inserts and doors Visit our show room at.... Capeview Mitre 10 today
COL110382
By Brad Lester
5672 4890 www.capeviewbuildingproducts.com.au
Mental Health First Aid for Teenagers
Volunteers boost ambulance ranks ANNE McIntyre, of Venus Bay’s volunteer ambulance Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), believed the region has adequate numbers of paramedics to service the population promptly. However she said more remote parts of the region, such as Venus Bay, needed first responders such as CERT members, to provide a faster response to areas some distance away from professional ambulance stations. CERT volunteers cover the area from Pound Creek to Walkerville, and are volunteers who attend to patients until a paramedic arrives. “At Venus Bay, we don’t have to wait longer than half hour for an ambulance. We have patients who visit here and they say the service down here is better than in Melbourne,” Ms McIntyre said. She said travel time was a factor for paramedics in large rural areas such as South Gippsland, with great distances between towns and often winding, narrow roads to negotiate. The Venus Bay CERT now has 15 members and Ms McIntyre recently passed 10 years in her role. She is the sole remaining founding member.
Join Bryan Jeffrey, Director of MOAT Mental Health Services, for this practical and free presentation that will focus on teenage anxiety and dealing with challenging behaviour. Bookings essential at: www.newhavencol.vic.edu.au Monday 21 August, 6.30 - 8.00pm Newhaven College Middle School 1770 Phillip Island Road, Phillip Island