Consent for 242,000 bird farm
A new 242,000-bird free-range chicken farm has the green light.
The 26.7ha site is owned by Two Lands Limited (formally Matamata Poultry) and will be built on Maiseys Rd, Waharoa.
The farm will take up 6.1ha of the 26.7ha and will house the birds in six sheds that will take up 1.6ha.
The balance of the land will be available for ranging by the birds.
The company owns and operates an existing chicken broiler farm 2200 metres south from the new farm.
Two Lands director Matthew Sutherland said including land, the new farm had cost $16-$18 million.
He said their company was expanding to meet demand for more free-range chickens, which required more shed space to farm the birds at a lower stocking density.
‘‘As soon as you start to grow free-range chooks you are producing a lot less with the sheds you have got so you need more shed.’’
The new farm will supply three new full time on farm jobs and part time jobs for truck driving and cleaning the sheds, on top of the three people employed on the home farm.
‘‘The whole poultry industry creates a huge amount of jobs.
‘‘It’s not just the farm that’s employing.
‘‘It’s all the people in the factory and the truck drivers as well,’’ Sutherland said.
The new farm will run separate to the home farm with its own manager and staff, and he expected construction to start mid-December.
‘‘The first placement of birds is supposed to be in March,’’ he said.
Chickens are brought onto the farm to the sheds at a day old and are raised through to seven weeks to supply Inghams.
The birds remain indoors for 19-21 days. They then freely roam the shed and yard areas before harvesting on days 31-38.
The sheds are cleaned and made ready for the next production cycle.
Spent chicken litter is removed and used as organic fertiliser.
The consents were granted in a joint hearing involving the Waikato Regional Council and Matamata-Piako District Council in October.
It included the right to construct and operate the sheds as well as a 25-year air discharge consent.
Three submissions were made opposing the farm with two speaking at the hearing, according to the decision summary.
Both of the two submitters lived on Maiseys Road.
Rob Donderwinkel and Beatriz Marlier da Costa claimed the new farm would have an affect on ‘‘the amenity value of our daily lives’’.
They were also concerned with how it would impact their outdoor living and family recreation over summer, particularly if wind dispersed odour in their direction.
The couple were also concerned with the impact of increased traffic on the road.
Tony and Fiona Crump also gave a verbal presentation, saying the farm would cause a 200 per cent increase in traffic along the road and it, too, would affect their lifestyle.