Town in flap over chook farm sale

By Melissa Meehan
PLANNING Minister Justin Madden has run afoul of Maryknoll residents who say he has squandered their opportunity for an improved environment.
For more than two years residents and the Cardinia Shire Council have fought to close the Maryknoll broiler farm.
The Wheeler Road property was put on the market at about the same time the action was started.
The council and other residents saw this as a perfect opportunity to close the farm, which they said was too close to the centre of town, and redevelop it as a low density residential area.
Since then the council, current mayor Bill Pearson and residents have pleaded with Mr Madden to rezone the site from a Green Wedge Zone to Low Density Residential Zone.
This week Cr Pearson, on hearing news the property was close to being sold as a poultry farm rather than a residential development, said he was bitterly disappointed that the government had not supported local people.
“It is a disaster,” Cr Pearson said.
“I even wrote to Mr Madden two weeks ago asking him to react.”
Cr Pearson said the sale of the property was devastating news for the entire Maryknoll community.
“The residents voted to get rid of the farm in a referendum not too long ago,” he said.
“And now our worst fears are coming true.”
He said the next hurdle residents could face if the property was sold was an upgrade of the farm.
“If they were able to apply to upgrade the property and get in three new sheds, that could mean they could hold 150,000 chickens as opposed to the 80,000 it can hold now,” he said.
“It is just crazy that something like this can be inside the township centre – and the fact that we had the opportunity to change it, its just disappointing.”
Cr Pearson said he had nothing against the current owners for selling the property, as they were pleased to sell it to a neighbour for residential development.
“But because of Mr Madden’s inaction their hand has been forced,” he said.
“It’s a tragedy. Who wants a chook farm in a rural residential area?”
“I hope and wish that we as a council can do something – but it’s out of our hands.”
A government spokesperson said the Cardinia Shire Council had sought authorisation to prepare an amendment to rezone the land in July.
He said the Department of Planning and Community Development requested more information from the council, but the further information was not submitted to the department until this week, and was now being reviewed against State and local planning policy.
The property agent did not return calls made by the Gazette by time of print.