Day in court for Baringhup chicken sheds

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal approved plans for 24 sheds for 1.2 million chickens in Baringhup, but objectors to the project have indicated they won’t go out without a fight. 

Author Raimond Gaita, whose book wrote Romulus, My Father was set in the Baringhup area, opposed the chicken factory plans, which attracted 875 objections. 

Mr Gaita planned to take the matter higher in a bid to overturn VCAT’s decision. 

He held concerns about odour from the chicken sheds, passing industrial trucks on narrow rural roads and the potential environmental impact – which VCAT deemed unfounded. 

Applicant and director of Pavilion Partners Michael Vukadinovic said he was “relieved” by VCAT’s decision after the issue had been drawn out for just shy of three years. 

“I'm not going to push for objectors to cover any costs up to now,” he said. 

“I want to show the neighbours we’ll be good neighbours. But if they follow up and take to the Supreme Court ... I'll be pushing all damages and loss of profit I'm legally entitled to because of the delays.”

Mr Vukadinovic said he wanted to bring jobs and investment to the region. 

Mount Alexander Shire Council deputy mayor Sharon Telford, who represents the Tarrengower Ward where the sheds would be built, said her community was “disappointed” by the ruling. 

“Primarily one of my concerns was (the potential impact on) the Loddon river, which is one of the four most degraded rivers in Australia,” Cr Telford said. 

“In my opinion, the (VCAT) response to that concern was a little inadequate.”

Mr Gaita said his objection was not only in solidarity with those he believed would be negatively affected, but intensely personal. 

“I grew up on the Moolort Plains, I have a deep love for them. They have very deeply nourished my spirit over many, many years,” he said. 

“My sense of those plains depends very much on their vastness, and large scale industrial factory has an effect on (that) vastness.”