Blantyre farms and the wider community are awaiting a report from the Independent Hearing and Assesment Panel regarding the piggery proposal.
At a recent meeting of the Hilltops Council, the decision was made to establish an Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP) to assist in the assessment of the application for a large piggery development near Harden township. The Panel has been established and have met this week on Monday 15 August 2016 to assess available information and undertake an inspection of the proposal site. “The IHAP will undertake a thorough analysis of available information, inspect the proposal site and provide recommendations back to Council to facilitate a determination on the application” said Council’s General Manager, Anthony McMahon. Hilltops Council have stated “For transparency and probity, the recommendations of the panel will be made public.” The panel consists of experts in the fields of soil, groundwater, odour, traffic and biodiversity and has been established to provide independent, professional advice to Council about these important aspects of the application. “Following the initial meeting and site inspection, the panel has been given a month to provide their recommendations back to Council which will then allow staff to progress a report for consideration by the Administrator,” said Mr McMahon. The development application for the piggery was lodged in December 2015 and now enters its 8 month before both Harden Shire Council and Hilltops Council.
