Testimonials

1. Dust and odour remains extreme eight years on

We have received a copy of the odour complaint datalog for the year 2006 from a neighbour located 710 metres from  tunnel-ventilated broiler farm at Steffens Rd, Forest Hill, just east of Gatton.
Here is the report from 13 November 2006 for the 5-shed facility.

“I had a phone call from next door neighbour to look outside at dust and particles falling out of the sky. The fans were on at sheds blowing this contamination over us, our roofs and tanks. They thought it was like a fog, that’s how thick it was. Husband had been outside before phone call approximately 8:00pm, he saw it and thought it was smoke until he shone torchlight in the air and saw the dust and particles. These could be seen in the headlights of cars going past. There was a dull haze around the main roads lights. The smell was very rotten. The worst I had ever smelt. It was bad in the house. This stuff is falling in our tanks and we have to wash and clean our teeth and shower with this water as we are only on tank water. Disgusting thanks to Laidley Council.”

Today, nothing has changed
We wondered if anything had changed in recent years, so we called the broiler farm neighbour Neil Hughes, owner of Hughes Gravel at Laidley, for an update. He told us that nothing has changed since then, that they have to live in constant air conditioning, that there are many people in the district with health problems that could be attributed to the pollution from the farm, that dust and odour travels many kms from the source, and that he can’t see any way to change to situation.

He repeatedly said: “whatever you do, you have to stop that application from being approved”. Neil is happy to talk with Noosa councillors about his experiences on (07) 5466 5913.

2. Forced out of their home

VILLELLA FARMS, a state-of-the-art chicken meat growing facility on the Atherton Tableland, is currently attempting to comply with an Environmental Notice concerning shed pollution. Mareeba Shire Council became involved in a long-running court case to enforce compliance after a group of neighbours, including Paul and Sharan Sommerville, found their lives turned upside down. This is their story.

Interior of a typical broiler shed.

WE ARE a neighbour of Villella Farm chicken meat farm at 6735 Kennedy Highway, Walkamin on the Atherton Tableland. Like the other neighbours, we have been affected by an ongoing environmental air discharge nuisance.

The change of the living environment from shed discharges upon one’s property totally destroys the family unit since personal stress levels are elevated, social life is non existent, and planning of your life at your property is not possible. Our family will not revisit their home as they become ill from the discharge. We have had to leave their home of 30+ years as our health has deteriorated because of respiratory problems from the dust discharge. These include asthma and sinus reactions that result in chest infections. After receiving medical treatment we are advised to go home and rest. Home is where the contamination is.

The constant cleaning is indescribable,  the dust enters all areas and then you end up literally living in the dust, odour, chemicals, aerosols, gases and the list goes on. Items contaminated include clothes drying on the line, clothes in cupboards, all your furniture, all areas of your kitchen where food preparation and eating takes place, bedding, and even the air in your house. Dust settles on our external areas, including vehicles and buildings, and lawn mowing just stirs up the dust again. We even breathe the dust as we sleep.

Shed dust from a broiler shed North Queensland

Our property is the dumping ground for someone’s else’s rubbish. Collecting safe rainwater from our roof for drinking and household use is not possible and we incur additional expense to provide safe water supply. While gardening, we suffer interruption from odour and dust destroying the enjoyment of our property and removing our rights to normal use.

Since we can no longer live at the affected property, it is impossible to get authorities to understand the issues as when they arrive to investigate a complaint of the offending odour and dust,  it is no longer present and we become demoralised again.

My computer after a dust event.

The cost to councils of enforcing compliance in areas that do not have adequate buffer zones is ongoing and enormous. While councillors come and go, people who make a life-time investment in their house and property are left with an unsalable asset

Councillors have no problem in approving these facility’s as they do not live near them. But the fact is, when you are affected by chicken facility, it destroys every aspect of your life.

Regards
Paul and Sharan Somerville
Walkamin QLD 4872

3. Choose Your Visiting Times

I lived in the Redlands for 15 years and travelled past the many chicken farms in the area on innumerable occasions. Depending on the wind direction this could be an ordinary journey or a very unpleasant one with the stench from the farms pervading the car. I also had friends in Thornlands whose property was approximately one kilometre from a chicken farm. Usually a visit to their home was a nice way to spend some time but this was totally dependent on the wind direction.

Anyone who claims there will be no impact on neighbouring properties from a commercial chicken farm is not telling the truth.  Surely commonsense tells you that it’s not possible to have 100,000’s of chickens without stench.

Clytie Glass
Noosaville

4. Living Next to a Broiler Farm

MY FAMILY lived next to a broiler farm. We had one acre but it was never going to be far enough away from the three, tunnel-ventilated  sheds that exhausted dust and odour towards our house. It became a living hell with the continual drone of those fans day and night. It seemed when one stopped another would start. It was a constant struggle to keep your fly screens and door screens free from dust and small feathers.

As it got closer to harvest time, the smell was so intense you couldn’t open your doors and windows even if you wanted to. In the summer months you were locked inside like a prisoner to avoid the stink outside. During the clean out you could feel the dust and grit under your feet as you walked on your patio. It took seven years for our group of homeowners to get this broiler farm closed. I can not tell you the anger and frustration you feel personally. No one wants to listen. Once council grants one permit in a shire or area you can rest assured more farms will follow.

Stop it before it starts if you can. It will divide your community and the stupid part is it only employs a handful of people.

Dawn and Dudley Stephenson
Gympie, formerly of Beaudesert