Right to farm fight

An exposé last week by Stock & Land journalist Peter Kostos revealed the Watson family, who have been farming on the Echuca Park property for 94 years, has reignited the debate about the growing urban encroachment on farmland.

The Watsons started running an intensive feeding enterprise of 2200 head of cattle on the 127-hectare Echuca Park property in the past eight years, igniting a fume between council, residents and the farming community about the need for stricter regulations surrounding urbanised farming.

The debate has recently come to a head when the beef enterprise was hit with a permit requirement to continue operating following complaints to Campaspe Shire of odour, effluent and noise issues.

Council argue the family is engaged in "intensive animal husbandry", which requires a permit because of the high stocking rate that borders on a being feedlot.

In a damning statement released today, the Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey accused the Campaspe Shire of "treading on dangerous ground" by demanding the Watsons obtain a permit.

"… The real issue was the council's failure to deal with urban encroachment," Mr Tuohey said.

"The Watsons have a pre-existing right, they were there long before the Shire allowed Echuca households to build within 100 metres of the farm."

However, Campaspe Shire mayor Ian Maddison said the Watson's intensively stocked fattening operation had increased stocking capacity in recent years, far beyond the acceptable limit of council.

A normal steer fattening enterprise in the region is about 120 head, well below the Watson's current 2200 head set-up.

Mr Maddison said it was unlikely the permit would be approved at the current stocking levels that were close to a feedlot size.

"They commenced (the fattening operation) without the knowledge of council and certainly without getting a permit," Mr Maddison said.

"It has not been in the current format for the past eight years, they have increased their stocking rate substantially to the extent that they truly exceed the acceptable stocking rate, especially without a permit, in any location beside or next to a town boundary.

"There wouldn't be a need for any confrontation if normal farming practices were being carried out."

Mr Maddison said the issue came to a head after an increased number of complaints from schools and residents caused council to send a staff member to the property to view the farm's stocking intensity.

"For anybody to run a feedlot and not assume they need a permit is absolute ignorance," he said.

"Once a farming operation is over a certain stocking rate and deemed a feedlot then there is a permit required.

"There is a lot of bullishness to blame council, it is not council's fault at all, it is a lack of respect to other people's rights to expect a reasonable place to live."

Mr Maddison said council would consider offering the Watsons a "buffer zone" on the property boundary to minimise impact of effluent, odour and noise complaints.

"They've been doing it a long while without a permit and the consequences are now that there is this confrontation, which is unfortunate," he said.

"If there is enough people who object to the permit, I think then it is up to council.

"I hope we can come to a resolution that can see the Watsons continuing on… but in consideration of the development of the town and the issues that come with intensely stocked farm."

The VFF will seek clarification from the State Government on whether the Victorian Planning Provision definition of Intensive Animal Husbandry needs to be tightened or amended.