UPDATE: Wednesday, 19 August
By JESSE GRAHAM
YARRA Ranges Council may rescind last week’s decision to abandon a planning scheme amendment on intensive animal husbandry, with the mayor calling to re-visit the matter.
In a Councillor Motion listed for Tuesday, 25 August’s Yarra Ranges Council meeting, mayor Maria McCarthy will put forward a motion to rescind the decision made on 11 August to abandon Planning Scheme Amendment C146.
The amendment aims to allow free range farms under a permit system in Green Wedge Zones 1, 2 and 3, and lost in a vote at the meeting.
However, Cr McCarthy’s motion, should it be passed, asks the council to rescind the decision and request that the Planning Minister appoint an independent planning panel to consider the potential amendment, which attracted 165 written submissions.
All of the written submissions would be referred to the panel for its consideration.
More as it comes.
Tuesday, 18 August
By KATH GANNAWAY
YARRA Ranges Council has abandoned plans to put the proposed Amendment C146 on intensive animal husbandry to an independent planning panel.
While an amended motion voted in addition to write to the State Government, requesting that the council be consulted on a review underway of the definition of intensive animal husbandry under Victorian Planning Provisions, the matter may not be finished yet at the local council level.
A tweet by Cr Jim Child following the meeting hinted at the possibility of rescission of council’s decision.
Cr Child declined to comment when asked to expand on his tweet “Council must revisit amendment C146 to remove prohibition on the Right to Free Range Farm”.
The numbers didn’t stack up on Tuesday night for Cr Child who has spoken out strongly in support of the right to free range farm under a permit system in Green Wedge Zones 1, 2 and 3.
Intensive farming is prohibited in those zones.
His motion supporting the amendment was lost by a margin of one, but with councillors Len Cox and Andy Witlox absent, a move to rescind could open the debate again with the potential for a different outcome.
As reported in the Mail on 11 August, A VCAT decision that ruled it is the nutritional value of food brought onto properties to feed livestock, not the amount, that marks farming operations as intensive.
Amendment C146 was on public exhibition for more than two months earlier this year and attracted 165 written submissions along with a formal petition of 181 signatures of people opposed to the amendment.
Key issues were identified as concerns about amenity, including smell, appearance, noise and traffic, impacts on the environment with most concerned about the potential for broiler farms, intense piggeries and cattle feedlots.
Yellingbo resident Marilyn Cumerford spoke against the amendment, saying she was concerned that it could result in piggeries or feedlots spring up.
“I realise that council doesn’t aim for that to happen, but it is possible it could,” she said.
“How could we be protected against people getting permits if this amendment goes ahead?”
Gordon Thompson from Monbulk spoke for the amendment, standing up after no-one came forward to support the proposal.
“We need something like this around the hills,” he said.
“I think people should have the right to have a small farm if they want.”
Addressing questions from Cr Mike Clarke, Mr Thompson said he had eight acres on which he could not currently farm.
Cr Child said seeking approval for the C140 Amendment panel was the next logical step after getting input through the exhibition phase.
He countered what he said were claims from objectors that intensive animal husbandry conflicted with the Regional Strategy Plan, saying he could find no reference to it.
“If we want productive farming for free range food production for which there is a market, our farmers may need to bring in more than 50 per cent nutrition and it’s just not there (under the current zoning).
Cr Fiona McAllister said of the 165 responses, less than 10 per cent were in support of the amendment.
“Even tonight at this council meeting, there was no-one ready to talk to this item,” she said.
“My view is this is a very blunt tool to achieve what we want to achieve.”
Arguing that the best option was to wait for the State Government review, she said a permit scheme was not a productive way to address the issue.
“I can see these ending up at VCAT,” she said.
“We need to be pushing harder for definitional change.
“It is the right objective, but the wrong tool.”
Cr Child, on Monday, said he still firmly believed that the planning panel was the right approach.
He said there were many people farming in zones who, with the VCAT decision, would find themselves farming illegally, but who would be reluctant to identify themselves by speaking out.
“By asking the minister to form the panel, everyone can go in and be heard,” he said.
