Smelly chickens rile up neighbours

INTENSIVE FARMING: Neighbours have concerns about increased production at this Wanganui chicken farm. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY 030215WCBRCChi01

A smell that makes them want to vomit has neighbours up in arms over a Wanganui chicken farm.

A Wanganui District Council hearing yesterday was told of concerns over plans to expand the chicken raising and processing operation.

The hearing was held to decide whether Tony and Judy Hore can continue and expand their business at 229 Papaiti Rd, and whether they can add free range chickens and start processing rabbits.

There have been a lot of complaints about the operation in the past 18 months. Council consultant planner Julie-Anne Shanks said she had visited it three times, while Horizons Regional Council has visited it four times in the past six months.

Neighbours' main concern was the smell. Pam Garrett told the hearing it was bad about two days a week in the late afternoon and evening.

"It smells sour - it gets into your throat and makes you want to vomit," she said.

Another neighbouring couple, Marshall and Joyce Browning, were also objecting.

"It's enough to make you vomit. It's so bad on occasions we have had to move out of our property," Mr Browning said.

The Brownings were also concerned about the amount of wastewater generated, whether it was adequately treated and whether nutrients found their way into the Whanganui River.

Both were against the Hores adding free range poultry. Mr Browning said the birds were "like sumo wrestlers", didn't move far from their sheds and their manure would pile up, getting smellier and smellier.

However, the Hores' daughter, Tonimarie Heron, said another four neighbours were happy with the proposed changes to the operation, and those right next door had said they couldn't remember the last time they got a bad smell. The operation was her parents' livelihood, and employed up to seven people. She said the Hores would make two concessions. They would drop the idea of having free range chickens, and they were getting some birds raised off-site, halving numbers on the property and reducing odour.

She would not give the number processed on-site, saying it was commercially sensitive. The Chronicle was not permitted to go on a site visit to the farm.

The Hores were now renewing their resource consent with Horizons, and had a water meter installed to monitor wastewater generated. The renewal was happening because of complaints.

Ms Shanks said the Hores needed resource consent for the land use under the council's intensive farming and rural industry provisions. She recommended granting the application, but with 23 conditions.

She had been told by Horizons that the Hores had appropriate resource consents and Horizons staff had no concerns.

Independent commissioner Rob van Voorthuysen will release his decision within 15 working days.