Christine Pruneau, secretary, Macedon Ranges Residents Association
The same state government that has sworn it is ‘protecting’ Macedon Ranges has just approved planning changes to remove (1) current prohibitions on pig and poultry farms in Rural Conservation and Rural Living Zones, and (2) your rights to notice, and to object.
In Farming, Rural Conservation, Rural Living and Urban Growth zones, and drinking water catchments, these changes allow 100 chickens and 10 emus/ostriches without a permit, and introduce a new ‘simplified’ permit process that allows:
· Up to 10,000 chickens, while removing your rights to know and object if they are 50m from your house or 200m from a residential zone (1000 chickens), or 100m/400m respectively for 1000-10,000 chickens.
· Up to 150 sows (plus boars and progeny) or 1000 Standard Pig Units, while removing your rights to know or object if they are 100m from your house or 400m from a residential zone. More pigs are allowed with a normal permit.
Thousands of pigs are allowed. A lactating sow equates to 2.5 Standard Pig Units, so 1000 units could be 150 sows, 50 boars, 1000 weaners, and 450 suckers – that’s 1650 pigs next door, but you have no say, even in sensitive and rural residential areas, or if you live in towns and it happens in the zone next door.
Not just pigs and chickens either, the same ‘simplification’ is coming for other intensive animal activities.
Unbelievably, the current member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas, supports these changes, saying they get the balance right. She cannot be serious!
These changes leave us worse off – environment, amenity, democracy – than today. Anyone who ‘gets’ Macedon Ranges would know that, and that these changes are completely incompatible with the shire’s and community’s values, and with ‘protection’.
Our message to Mary-Anne is current controls and prohibitions must be re-instated. What’s yours?
