The lodgement of a Development Application (DA) for a piggery off the Eulie Road has sparked an outpouring of both opposition and support, with social media rapidly becoming the platform for debate. The DA entails two lots, with Lot 2 to have five sheds housing 2,200 sows and 7,400 pigs, and Lot 1 to have 18,000 pigs in 16 sheds. It will also have a biogas digester, which uses methane produced by pig faeces to generate electricity.
The DA has been submitted by Michael & Edwina Beveridge of Blantyre Farms. Blantyre Farms currently operates the Golden Grove and Dead Horse Gully piggeries near Young. Two Facebook pages have been formed, ‘Say NO To Blantyre Farms In Harden’ and ‘Say YES To Blantyre Farms In Harden’. Opponents of the development have also launched an online petition on the website www.change.org, which has attracted considerable attention from outside of the Harden Shire and reached over 1,300 signatures to date.
A spokesman for the ‘Say NO to Blantyre Farms In Harden’ stated, “Everywhere, there are ongoing issues with these intensive animal factory farms from repeated incidents of ongoing cruelty, unacceptable numbers of piggery deaths due to fires and heat exhaustion resulting from system faults or failures, to environmental issues with dangerous pollution and contamination. Then there are the added human health and animal health concerns and serious biosecurity issues.” The group gave the examples of a fire at the Wonga piggery near Young that killed 2,500 pigs in June 2015, as well as an outbreak of Golden Staph contracted by a worker at the same site. They also argue that there are issues with the Environmental Impact Statement lodged as part of the DA. The ‘Say YES To Blantyre Farms In Harden’ group has come out in support of the development, which is estimated to bring twenty jobs to the Shire. “Twenty job opportunities may appear meagre pickings for some, but for a community such as Harden Murrumburrah it would mean a much brighter future,” said a post on its Facebook page. ‘’With the proposed farm not only bringing employment prospects to the town but a demand for local resources, it will help support the farmers, families, individuals and other businesses within the Shire.”
The DA for the piggery is currently on exhibition at Harden Shire Council, and can also be accessed online by going to: http://www.harden.nsw.gov.au/planning-development/on-exhibition.aspx Comments regarding the DA can be submitted to Council in writing to council@harden.nsw.gov.au or by post to PO Box 110, Harden NSW 2587. Submissions close on February 5.
