Queensland Guidelines: Meat Chicken Farms - Department of ...

1.0 Overview
1.1 The industry
The Queensland meat chicken industry makes a significant contribution to the Queensland
economy. The industry employs about 4000 people and produces 102 million birds annually from a
total investment of $600 million. It contributed $370 million in gross value of production (GVP) to
the Queensland economy in 20010–11 i .
Meat chicken farms are located close to processing plants to ensure the welfare of the chickens
during transport and to minimise the cost of transporting the chickens.
In the past, the locations of meat chicken farms in Queensland were typically on the urban fringe.
Urban encroachment has meant that meat chicken farms are now not always located in a rural
setting—some are now located within urban areas of South East Queensland (SEQ). Poultry
production systems and processes have also changed and intensified, resulting in an increased
potential for emissions and impacts on adjacent land which may no longer be used solely for rural
purposes. Proximity to neighbours and urban communities raises the potential for issues such as
odour, dust, pests, farm traffic, noise, and visual and lighting impacts. There are also concerns
about the impacts of waste management and potential for environmental impacts on groundwater
and surface water. It is therefore crucial for meat chicken farms to be appropriately located and
operated to ensure potential impacts on community health and amenity and the general
environment are minimised.
1.2 Purpose of the guidelines
The Queensland Guidelines for Meat Chicken Farms has been developed to provide information
for the planning, design and development of meat chicken farms across Queensland. Whilst not a
compliance, operational or management manual, it provides some advice on operational
arrangements, where relevant, to managing the potential impact of meat chicken farms on the
environment and broader community.
The purpose of the guidelines is to provide consistent information for the planning and
development of meat chicken farms to:
assist local government to include relevant provisions in Local Government Planning Schemes
assist proponents with the development of a new meat chicken farm or the expansion of an
existing farm
provide information about the meat chicken production system to assist local government
officers in assessing development applications
provide an overview of planning frameworks and the development assessment process.
Use of the guidelines by local governments and proponents will respond to the potential for
environmental and health impacts associated with meat chicken farms. In addition, it will contribute
to a more consistent decision-making process and increased certainty for the meat chicken
industry whilst reducing community conflict resulting from the expansion of the industry.
1.3 Scope
The guidelines apply to the development of new meat chicken farms and the expansion or
renovation of existing meat chicken farms.
i DAFF Prospects for Queensland Primary Industries 2011-2012, March 2012
Queensland Guidelines Meat Chicken Farms 6