NOTE: Updates have been posted below, including the tally.
I need your help, because they need your help. Please read this whole story and consider if you can help. WUWT readers may recall this story: Death of a Feedlot Operator …in which the anal-retentive government of West Australia has “licensed” a family farm out of operation due to some shonky science and arbitrary application of the “sniff test”. Yes that’s right, cattle farms smell, so do pig farms, as does any farm. But now it’s reason to shut one out due to baseless complaints from the local greens. And, it all started when Matt Thompson started doubting global warming and talking about it publicly.
I’ve never made a plea to the WUWT worldwide readership for help, I’m making one now to donate to these people to stave off eviction. If nothing else, do it to spite the government of Western Australia and the greens (Environmental Defender’s Office WA) that have turned farming into a “crime”. The real crime is that government listens to these hotheads. From Jo Nova’s website:
4 days notice! The Thompsons are served notice of eviction.
Will, Abbey, Janet, Luke, Matt and Kate on their farm. April 2010
From Agmates (and many emails), news comes that The National Bank served notice today that the Thompsons have to be off their property in four days.
This is a family with four young children, who ran a profitable business; they filled in every form and ticked every box. They have broken no laws, and there are no outstanding environmental notices, but yet, they came to Western Australia with their life savings and they are losing everything. (Note: Matt and Janet are from the USA, Hugo, Oklahoma – Anthony)
Don’t bring your investment dollars to Western Australia — not while the Department of the Environment effectively controls the state.
The Thompsons waited a full year to get Works Approval for a 15,000 head feedlot. After they had already committed the capital, the rules kept shifting. They discovered they’d need ongoing licenses as well. After several years of ramping up the capacity on these licenses, things changed. Matt spoke out as a skeptic. About that time, the renewals were delayed, then the numbers were cut in half, and new conditions were added that were impossible to meet. To feed and supply water for thousands of cattle the Thompsons had to sign agreements in advance to pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars of goods they could not use, but had no way of knowing that at the time. When they appealed, it took 18 months to get “vindicated” but by then there was only six months left on the “two year” license. Not enough to set up all the contracts and run a business. The new sub-clauses meant that even licenses for a qualified “10,000″ head had vague untestable conditions: the license you have when you don’t have a license.
I am ashamed of what our government has done.
If the media won’t cover this, shame on them too.
I’ve written before in more detail:
Tyranny: How to destroy a business with environmental red tape
Smell that evidence
There is much discussion on Agmates, and a call for donations (see below):
URGENT HELP – Thompson family in trouble
NAB had not long ago told Matt & Janet that they were not going to move on them before December 31st. But it appears that they have changed their mind.
Those familar with previous discussions on Agmates will know that the Thompson family have no funds available to them to face being thrown out on their ear by the bank. Donations are needed ASAP to help provide a roof over the children’s head. Please consider donating what you are able into the following bank account that has been set up so as any donations can’t be seized with all other assets of Matt & Janet including the few dollars left in their own bank account.
Account Name: L&S BallardDescription: Kate/Aby/Will/LukeBSB: 016 770Account Number: 439863697ANZ: Bintamilling Arcade, Egerton Street, Narrogin, Western AustraliaSWIFT Code: ANZBAU3M
=====================================
For International money transfers, or payment by credit cards, Jo Nova has set up a special PayPal donation button (in US dollars). This will go to her bank account, with an ID that means it will be recorded as a donation for Matt and Janet. She will transfer it to their account. I have complete trust here. Please give anything you can, no amount is too small.
I’m confident WUWT readers can turn this around.
LINK TO PAYPAL DONATION HERE
You can also use your credit/debit card if you don’t have a PayPal account.
(note this takes you to an intermediate page, which I have to do since wordpress.com won’t allow me to insert the full code).
Also for those who have other websites, or who frequent other forums, bulletin boards, and blogs, I ask your help in getting the word out.
As Michael D. Smith writes in comments below:
Let’s show the Aussie Government what “We The People” can do…
Thanks for your consideration – Anthony
================================================
UPDATE1:
Dale Stiller writes in comments: Thank you all who have sent donations for the Thompson family. You can also help by emailing your disgust to Main Stream Media in Western Australia. Below are a few email addresses.
W A Newspaper contacts:
The West
http:au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/contact/
(does not give a Perth email, only phone no (08) 94823111 )
Email for Sydney Rep Office (The West) cdsilva@wansydney.com.au
Western Australian statewide rural newspaper
W A Radio – Perth National:
ABC News Radio – http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/about/contact.htm
ABC News Rural – wwwabc.net.au/rural/contact/
ABC Midwest & wheatbelt http://www.abc.net.au/contact/contactabc.htm
=====================================================
UPDATE2:
Janet Thompson responds to the issues raised by some saying she said in a public meeting: “there will be no odour”. Given Matt’s and Janet’s extensive involvement in animal agriculture, including feedlots and saleyards, in the States prior to coming to Western Australia, I find it hard to believe that she’d say this. Here is an excerpt of her response:
The myth has been propagated that I stated at our original open public meeting in March 2002 that I made the statement that there would be no odour. In considering any proposition in which animals are to be located in one area, it is ludicrous for anyone to state that there would be no odour. (And, I submit, for anyone to blindly believe such a statement.) I know places that have one horse, and there is odour to manage. Whatever statement that was made that night has been taken out of context, and now many people who were not even in attendance that night are repeating this myth. We spoke about manure smelling when it was wet, and for that reason, found it desirable to be located on the south side of town, when prevailing winds are away from town. We were always open about this, and are gravely disappointed in friends who have not come to us to discuss things, but instead worked actively behind our backs to wreak havoc in our lives, and to attempt to destroy our livelihood, the livelihoods of our employees and contractors, and our life savings.
Here’s the document as PDF. FYI, You’ll see today’s date on it since I made the PDF today from a Word DOC sent to me.
Thompson Response to community members LCCC
========================================================
UPDATE3: HOW TO WRITE A LETTER Reader Mark from Australia writes and provides sample letter ideas for contacting MP’s in Australia and members of the media:
People should reword as they desire and add questions if they have any specialist knowledge or expertise, especially in the feedlot business. They MUST keep it civil. People should send FOUR SEPARATE letters or emails. One to each Minister. That is important. Each MUST be answered so they must put their return addresses on them. I will be sending mine as letters, today.
Be sure to edit this to cover the points you want to include and your own words. Note that simpler hand written letters are likely to carry more weight. It is important to distinguish between EDO Environmental Defenders Office (which is the Non Governmental Organization) and DEC Department of Environment and Conservation (which is the state department of environment and conservation, which is responsible for licensing and the decisions that have been made). In that vein, most of the questions should be about DEC, not EDO (although the funding ones are great to ask).
Premier The Honourable Colin Barnett MEc MLA
Minister for State Development
24th Floor, Governor Stirling Tower,
197 St Georges Terrace,
PERTH Western Australia 6000
Tel: (08) 9222 9888 Fax: (08) 9322 1213
e-Mail: wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au
The Honourable Brendon Grylls MLA
Minister for Regional Development & Lands; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development
9th Floor, Dumas House,
2 Havelock Street,
WEST PERTH Western Australia 6005
Tel: (08) 9213 7000 Fax: (08) 9213 7001
e-Mail: Minister.Grylls@dpc.wa.gov.au
The Honourable Terry Redman MLA
Minister for Agriculture and Food
Address: 11th Floor, Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005
Telephone: (08) 9213 6700 Fax: (08) 9213 6701
e-Mail: Minister.Redman@dpc.wa.gov.au
The Honourable Donna Faragher MEd(Hons) BA(Hons) GradDipEd JP MLC
Minister for Environment
10th Floor, Dumas House,
2 Havelock Street,
WEST PERTH WA 6005
Tel: (08) 9213 7250 Fax: (08) 9213 7255
e-Mail: Minister.Faragher@dpc.wa.gov.au
MINISTERIAL REQUEST – NARROGIN BEEF PRODUCERS
Background Information
Matt and Janet Thompson moved from the USA to establish a feedlot business about 4 km outside Narrogin, WA. The business started operation in 2003 and employed about 20 locals at peak. This represents a success for WA and a success for Australia in attracting foreign investment.
Following his publicly expressing doubt as to the effect of the cattle industry on ‘global warming’ in June 2008, the West Australian Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) took an interest in complaints by Narrogin greens against the Thompson’s business.
In 2008, the Thompson’s applied to the West Australian Department of Environment and Conservation for an increase in their licence capacity from 10,000 to 15,000 head. Instead, the DEC cut their licence conditions back to 6,000 head, effectively closing the business by removing its economies of scale. The feedlot remains closed. This closure also played a role in the suicide of one of the employees, Mr Lindley Boseley.
The reasoning given by EDO on use of regulation to destroy this business is not available but seems subjective, indeed, specious (Reference page 2 of EDO newsletter at http://www.edowa.org.au/newsletters/200803Newsletter.pdf).
The EDO newsletter is itself disturbing. It displays the hallmarks of both a ‘captured bureaucracy’ and an issue-motivated NGO. It is positively triumphs the ‘Green cause’.
Questions
1.The Environmental Defenders Office is jointly funded by the West Australian State Government and the Federal Government. Why is WA funding this organisation when it seems to be little more than an arm of ‘The Greens’?
2.On what scientific grounds was the Thompson’s licence capacity reduced from 10,000 head to 6,000 head?
3.Was the viability of the Thompson’s business considered by the EDO in making this determination?
4.What are the scientific or other relevant qualifications of those who made this decision within the EDO?
5.Was this decision subject to review by anyone with skills in determining its impact on the viability of the Thompson’s business?
a.If so, who, and what are their business qualifications and experience?
b.If the EDO decision was not subject to review to determine the impact of the decision on the Thompson’s business by a person with appropriate business qualifications and skills, why not?
c.If the EDO decision included no business impact review from a person qualified to determine its impact on their business, were ‘the rules constantly changed’ in respect of the Thompsons applications?
i.If so, why and on what grounds?
ii.If so what were the qualifications of the person(s) making these ‘rule changes’?
d.Was ‘natural justice’ denied to the Thompsons in their application?
e.What appeals processes were available to the Thompsons?
f.Were they made aware of these in time to make effective use of them?
6.Why are the Thompsons being evicted from their property on 21 September 2010 instead of in December?
7.Are the WA Ministers for State Development, Agriculture, and State Development and Lands aware of the ability of the EDO to close any WA agricultural business on apparently subjective and/or ideological grounds?
8.Are the appropriate WA Ministers (State Development, Agriculture, and State Development and Lands) aware that this case is now attracting very adverse international attention to WA, due to the Thompsons being international investors in WA?
9.Are the appropriate WA Ministers (State Development, Agriculture, and State Development and Lands) aware that this case is causing damage to WA’s ‘brand’ as a safe place for international investment in agriculture?
10.Is there a link between Mr Thompson’s ‘offence’ against a Green ideological belief in ‘global warming’ and the EDO’s patently apparent belief in that same ideology?
11.Was Mr Thomson’s business targeted by the EDO on the basis of this ideology?
12.Did the ‘Green ideology’ so apparent in the EDO’s publications play any role in their determination?
a.If so, why is ‘Green ideology’ permitted to destroy a business and 20 jobs?
b.If not, what was the scientific basis for their decision to deny their application for an increase in license numbers from 10,000 head to 15,000 head?
13.Will the WA Government review the funding and operations of the EDO to prevent further damage to WA’s ‘brand’ as an investment destination?
Yours Sincerely
NAME
ADDRESS
DATE
===============================================
UPDATE4:
Jo Nova reports that WUWT readers have given generously! Over $27,000 was raised in two days from 670 donations. My humble and sincerest thanks to you all for coming to their aid when asked. Jo Nova reports that the fund will go into the Thompson children’s names.
Of course the alarmist community has been silent, there’s not been one word of support that I’m aware of.
See the latest from Jo Nova of how the DEC defines ditches at farms, and you’ll understand the sort of green tyranny the Thompsons face.
People should reword as they desire and add questions if they have any specialist knowledge or expertise, especially in the feedlot business. They MUST keep it civil.
People should send FOUR SEPARATE letters or emails. One to each Minister. That is important.
Each MUST be answered so they must put their return addresses on them. I will be sending mine as letters, today.
Hope this helps.
If you must refer to me, then please just keep it as ‘Reader Mark from Australia’
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
~Done
Noelene:
The centre right government as you call it
I do.
took over in Sept 2008,after the damage had already been done.
Nevertheless, they are in charge now, and have been for over a year. They are not powerless to act. The responsible state minister is Donna Faragher.
@Ziiex.Zeburz
“It is Verboten to barbecue”
How about this then:
I live in Denmark, next to Germany
Imported from Germany 2 air-guns, completely legal to own (and plink with in your garden whilst barbecuing) in Denmark of cause
Did all the papers, lots of red-tape involved
A couple of month after, I was contacted by my very friendly local sheriff, he had just received a letter from Interpol about these air-guns and he wanted to know what it was all about..
Told him, case closed (you do not need and cannot get a license in Denmark for something that do not require a license of cause)
I also read the link posted by Virveli
http://narroginlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/neighbour-presentations.pdf
It is good to have some of the other side of the story and to hear directly from Janet Thompson. I have some experience of being on both sides of this kind of thing.
As a resident in the midst of a group opposing local planning planning permission, I had only minor concerns and was prepared to work constructively with the planned site rather than against it, but I saw my fellow residents come up with absolutely ridiculous objections grounded on nothing more than unquantified fears and speculations.
In a professional capacity I have been involved as a technical advisor to a facility seeking planning permission for expansion of a processing site that does generate smells. There was local objection and they did have some grounds for complaint, but the company had constantly exceed their regulatory obligations. The processing site had been historically part of the area and predates the occupancy of the most vocal residents. We have seen activist groups come in and organise the residents and pull in irrelavant extrapolations from other unconnected locations.
The objections in Narrogin seem to me to have some valid basis, but as each one reads in a similar way there is that sort of organised ‘group think’ in operation.
One that jumped out at me was the man who was concerned about dangerous levels of hydrogen sulphide. I’m not even sure of the importance of hydrogen sulphide in this case (ammonia may be as strong in the odour), but quoting those levels is just silly. Hydrogen sulphide is detectable (and identifiable as the characteristic rotten egg smell) by the human nose at 0.2ppm or less. 10ppm is the 8 hour occupational exposure limit. If it was ever anywhere near the levels of 50+ppm he quotes, it would have had serious health implications for the animals never mind the residents.
Hello Janet and family,
I am sure the WUWT and JN bloggers would like to assist more.
With four children and a pet blue tongue, your family’ situation is of prime concern in the coming days.
I have some suggestions on behalf of the blogging family:
Someone(s) to direct and pull info posted together or for the media to be aware of this site and take direct information for reporting purposes.
Anthony and team to do meterological data of area
Someone, as I can see, to follow up on legal issues
Raise issue with the media and others
Economics of area
Brief history of your area
Someone to take Library info and analyse (I am happy to do some of this, as there interesting issues with the community consultation statistics already noted)
If we can use our skills and perhaps use this site or CAPS site to bring all the information posted together.
I understand that there are many more people (Ontario thread) but likely in Australia that have had similar stories of red tape, including the grief of having lost a family member(s) or colleague(s) through suicide.
Tom Rowan says:
September 18, 2010 at 9:22 am
The Austrailian government sees fit to spend 3 million to fly Oprah Winfrey’s audience to Austrailia and writes it off as “advertising.”
The same Austrailian government sees fit to put farming out of business.
Hey Oprah! Have your audience pack globalony sandwiches! Food is being outlawed in Austrailia!
———————————————————————————-
Milwaukee Bob says:
September 18, 2010 at 10:01 am
Tom Rowan said at 9:22 am
The Austrailian government sees fit to spend 3 million to fly Oprah Winfrey’s audience to Austrailia and writes it off as “advertising.”
You can’t be serious! Are you saying BILLIONAIRE Winfrey DIDN’T pay for that?? You have proof of that? She gets all the kudos while the Aussie Gov. forks over taxpayer money to ???? What? Pamper a few hundred Americans? Or kiss her butt? Three million! Wow! I didn’t you folks were doing so well down under…..
That’s just not right! And don’t anyone even speculate that if per chance I was in the audience that day if I found this out before leaving that I would still go. And Australia is on my buck list! [snip]
———————————————————————————
John says:
September 18, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Tom Rowan says:
The Austrailian government sees fit to spend 3 million to fly Oprah Winfrey’s audience to Austrailia and writes it off as “advertising.”
The same Austrailian government sees fit to put farming out of business.
No, not the same government, the Thompson’s is a state issue.
The WA state government is centre-right, roughly the Australian equivalent of the Republicans or Tories, so not exactly the leftist conspiracy it’s being made out to be.
————————————————————————————
http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Oprah-makes-Australian-govt-pay-33-million-to-fly-her-entire-audience-down-under-3519399.html
Oprah makes Australian gov’t pay $3.3 million to fly her entire audience down under
Technically I should title this story “Oprah lets Australian government pay…” because it’s not like she forced them to foot the bill and the details are vague as to whose idea it was. Oprah claimed on her Show that she thought it up. It’s still possible that the Australian government pitched the idea to Oprah’s people as a way to boost Tourism, or maybe it was Oprah’s people’s idea and the Aussies signed on and even offered to pay. Either way, officials seems to be thrilled that Oprah is coming to Australia with her peeps and they’re more than happy to pay for it. Technically it’s the Australian people who are paying for it through their Tax Dollars and it’s not like they got to vote on it. In comparison to a lot of other government expenditures, this seems like chump change. Still, this is Billionaire Oprah we’re talking about, she could have paid for it.
————————————————————————–
So, if Western Austrailia is a state like California, then Austrailia’s “federal” government is sitting on its hands as eco-terrorists gut the farming industry.
Do I have that about right?
Now that makes perfect sense.
In California, water was cut off to farmers to “save” a minnow.
Obama and Oprah have sat on their hands as eco-terrorists as California eco-terrorists “cause(d) a loss of 60,000 to 80,000 jobs and over $2 billion in lost revenue” in California’s central valley.
Same eco-terrorists posing as concerned government bearucrats and “enviromentalists.”
Same [snip], different continent.
I’ve done my bit too and donated. Thanks to Anthony and co for bringing it to our attention.
It seems strange that there were no complaints for 2 years, until 2007, and then you had 10 or 20 per month. Were these complainants the same 20 or so individuals making multiple complaints, or does each complaint represent one unique individual? What percentage of the total population of the town does this represent? The point I am getting at, is if the odour problem is as bad as some are implying, then I would expect the whole town to be complaining. If these complaints actually represent a small number of the same individuals, then that smacks of activism for political reasons – persecution really.
@HB
September 18, 2010 at 6:11 pm
It seems you haven’t really bothered to read the articles and comments from Jo Nova’s site in any detail, or you wouldn’t be dismissing the reasoned analyses and level-headed responses to criticism there (some from the Thompsons themselves) as an ‘appeal to emotion’. Complaints evidently centred around a small group of people (who had been complaining about local farms prior to the Thompsons setting up their business), were not backed up with any evidence and seemed to intensify following the involvement of an activist NGO- this suddenly after Mr Thompson vocalised his AGW scepticism. This organisation proceeded to organise and mobilise the complainants into launching a concerted effort to shut the Thompsons down. A local official reminding the Thompsons that ‘they got Al Capone in the end’ [sic], while not only painting a sinister picture of the spitefulness of WA officialdom, confirms in my mind that this issue goes way beyond a few nasty smells (particularly as complaints do not correlate with meteorological conditions, number of cattle and are unsubstantiated outside the 20 or so complainants). A conspiracy theory isn’t necessary to see this for what it is – bullying by a leftist eco-lobby that has ingratiated itself with the Government machine, and chooses to assert its sanctimonious, unproven world view by making an example of those who disagree with it. The Thompsons it seems did everything in their power to minimise the environmental impact of their farm and engage in sustainable farming practices (read their comments) – if they are being punished for this, where will the idiocy end?
I agree with the gist of this message. But I don’t see how the Freudian adjective to the West Australian government can help.
REPLY: You don’t get it, you are over thinking it. It’s satire and a humor play on the topic – think source of the smell. – Anthony
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/discovering-how-to-sniff-a-glass-of-wine.html
The British Society of Perfumers http://www.bsp.org.uk/
International Flavours and Fragrances http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/perfume/article/0,28804,1618617_1618614,00.html
From Narrogin Library files: 3/5/2009
Local Consultative Committee to CEO of DCE with cc to Minister of Environment
………….. In and following the Minister’s appeal decision of early this year she created the Narrogin Local Community Consultative Committee to provide advice relating to the licencing and operation of the Narrogin Beef Lot.
P6 Improved odour performance.
Under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture and Food there has been odour monitoring in Narrogin town for several years. In May two years ago the monitoring evolved to be based on the following:
_____________________________________________________________
Three trained and anonymous odour observers at three confidential locations in town were to make odour observations every day at 9 AM, 3PM and 9PM. Odour levels were assessed on a scale of 0 to 6. This yields about 6000 observations over two years.
__________________________________________________________
with thanks to Baa Humbug on the ‘Gavin to attend AAAS We Shall Overcome Seminar’ blog
Anthony
PayPal worked for me today.
Donation done!
HB says:
September 18, 2010 at 6:11 pm
There are four children involved, fairly young ones at that. Giving money will provide their parents with a chance to house, clothe and feed them.
Perhaps there will be enough money to hire a lawyer. Now that the Thompsons no longer have to service their debts, they will be able to spend some of the money they receive to get the qualified legal help that they have no been able to get until now. That is, provided their creditors do not seize all of their means to receive money. That often happens in such cases.
I don’t see how your argument is any less emotional than those for giving the Thompsons a helping hand. Let me see. To shorten the agony will do what, prevent the Thompsons from being able to buy enough rope to hang themselves with and thereby keep all of them safe and sound?
Is being thrown on the garbage pile a better solution than to have the Thompsons feed themselves and their children for a while longer until they manage to get legal government assistance in the form of welfare payments?
To shorten the agony means that the children are made to pay for the sin of their parents — political incorrectness — right now, rather than later.
“REPLY: You don’t get it, you are over thinking it. It’s satire and a humor play on the topic – think source of the smell. – Anthony”
I know, and I giggled 🙂 I was just thinking of a fraction of your potential public for this message who might be put off by it. On the other hand, you may win some people for this little joke.
Sorry, should have been “they have not been able to get until now.”
I’m in for 100.00, for a couple of reasons, because its terrible what is being done, because Anthony saw fit to ask for help on their behalf and I respect and trust him, and because despite spending an awful lot of time on this blog, I had never hit the paypal button to contribute to it. So consider my donation sent in your name Anthony.
I have worked in agriculture for 25 years as an agronomist and scientist. In canada this farmer would not have the right to get as big as possible to be more cost efficient. Many municipalities have banned large industrial type operations of piggeries or cattle feedlots. If he made the expansion without the necessary permits for the 15000 head feedlot he took that risk and he did so knowingly. Rather than his global warming denier ideology being punished as Anthony suggests, its more likely the more common scenario of public pushing back against industrial farming. The fact is these large farms cause both odour , waste management and ground water and should be built well away from towns etc. I think the farmer should be compensated if its proven the permits were revoked after he expanded but if he assumed he would get the permits then it’s his mistake alone.
the world is truly upside down these days, link worked fine for me BTW
The Green Fundamentalism it is worse than any other fundamentalism because it spreads wider and its fanaticism menaces the future of the human kind.
It WAS a joke to laugh at, now it is a loaded gun pointed at the head of humanity.
*****
HB says:
September 18, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Now, giving money to stop the foreclosure is going to solve what exactly? I know it feels good, and you’re propagandising this to the hilt. But its really just extending the agony for this family isn’t it? Are they going to keep fighting on with something that they can’t afford to run with the current licence?
*****
If it buys the family one more month to fight this idiotic, socialist-leaning government for one more month and keep the story going, it will have been worth it. I’m not knocking Australia only for this, the US is going down the exact same road and we in the US need to take a lesson from it. Vote against the most socialistic party in the US in November!!!
On the Oprah Winfrey topic:
Look Here, Here and finally, from the BBS Here
Disgusting!!!
People need to make some noise about this BS!!!
Just donated.
I know exactly how it feels to be cut up by the little STASI-people existing everywhere.
Hope you make it.
Dan
Yeah, reminds me of the people that buy a house on a golf course and then bitch about betting hit by golf balls.
Virveli says:
September 18, 2010 at 11:21 am
Perhaps someone would like to see what the actual neighbours wrote about the facility in their own words?
http://narroginlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/neighbour-presentations.pdf
————–
thank you for the opportunity to see what the rest of the immediate community says.
I suggest everyone needs to read this as well.
while I personally do not like the Govt of WAs attitutude on green and climate issues and MIS use of the same in other instances.
recent examples. allowing GM crops into the state.
forcefully resuming 3X the stated land for a GAS? project in privately owned and native title lands?
taking the artesian water rights ON a farmers land, and giving it to a new Posh housing estate for the rich on the bay next door, leaving him unable to farm or use or sell his land.
Jailing a man for clearing regrowth bush to farm on, while all around IS cleared for grain.
this is a quandary for someone who disapproves of CAFO operations at all.
I posyted a heads up due to the facts that:
The Thompsons were encouraged to come and allowed to function.
then, the rules changed, and for that reason I protested.
it appears there are 2 Councillors with stated VESTED financial interests?
It pays to ask WHY?? is the bank foreclosing now, after stating a later date?
I would wonder what sense that makes?
unless?
they have one of the Other OS based CAFO operators looking for a real bargain?
being real No One else would be able to buy or use it for anything else unless the entire site is gutted.
The Thompsons made one Huge mistake, they placed their HOME on the said business property thereby allowing themselves to be forced from their home in forelosure. its why you never mortgage the home to your busines either. lose one lose all.
I do feel sorry for them, however I wonder how many of you would be happy to have a feedlot near your home? seriously?
Americas own soil and water has serious issues from this style of massive scale farms right now.
do you think that Aus or anywhere else needs it, I wonder.
watch Food Inc or Dirt.
the E coli salmonella and antibiotic resistance issues in American Beef is from this type of CAFO and processing.
cattle have 4 stomachs to digest lignins in grasses and woody browse, they are NOT meant to eat garin in large amounts, soy and corn GM waste and trash, GM cottonseed meal (or bits of other animals, remember mad cow? animal meat and bone IN feed.(still happening IN america people)
they oddly enough also dont double their growth using Implants to speed development in their natural form either.
In Aus we have massive areas that need to be browsed to keep fires down, yet the Green laws Ban that? they are not suitable for any other income or use in most cases, cattle survive where sheep die.
The recent huge fires were fuelled by undergrowth that needed to be thinned and grazed.
Kyoto agreement made any clearing or grazing like this a bad thing.
yet? this style of farming is energy intensive, locally a problem, and we have a whole damn continent that needs a good trimming bush and grass wise?
the Carbon would be recycled direct to the soil along with natural bacteria to support beneficial fertilising, and not a smell to be sniffed.
oh and it would feed people healthy natural food.
Hmm?
hard one, or is it?
Is it an issue of a Family being harrassed?
or is it a fair few other citizens, who lived there prior, being severely inconvenienced?
is it? an appropriate use of the EPA regs.
or is it the new Carbon and other nuttiness gaining ground?
another point.
IF the business went ahead, as planned, the family at least (unlike others OS businesses here) hired locals and paid Australian Taxes.
Fairly good profits in a wideopen market too, lets face it they came here to make money. At Home the markets are fairly well sewn up between a very few massive interests. tyson etc.
its an issue of one families desires to make money over the losses of revenue to the local owners and it appears businesses also. the letter in the link from the local ag college Does need to be read. page 15 16.
people dont take it wrong I feel for the Thompsons, but I have severe isues with the ethics of factory Farms.
hope others consider both sides too.
but Yes! our Govts and the agenda 21 millenium and IPCC Carbon crud are severe issue regardless.
Americas HR 510 is an attempt to make this big agri style farming ALL that you get BTW, you need to check it out, seriously. if you want farmners markets and local fresh food anyway.
being constructive,
The smell factor could be turnd to Huge advantage by underground tanking the watse and powering the town with the methane, then using that waste for worms as Matt already uses the manure
maybe the Govt should fund THAT!!! as a green initiative for renewable powewr resources.
also the phosphates/urea, From the urine are worth a mint to the ag industry if separated.
To those who have questioned whether the Thompsons applied and were given appropriate permits before making the huge capital commitment, and those who have questioned the quality of the waste management systems:
1. Licences were applied for and granted prior to the commitment of capital. Amended licence requirements came later after a few complaints from a small number of people. The vast majority of the locals support the feedlot business and the Thompson family.
2. You would expect the register of complaints about odour to increase when the feedlot had more cattle and decrease when stock was significantly less. The log of complaints do not correlate in this way which is indicative of a campaign rather than genuine complaints about odour.
3. Waste management at the feedlot is state of the art including a significant worm farm.
4. The original license approval was for 15,000 head – which is not large compared some other feedlots in Australia and certainly not large by international standards. Unfortunately, while the Dept of Environment and increase the obligations on the feedlot increasing costs and making economies of scale even more important for profitability, it has reduced the to just 10,000 head, but only after a bunch of hurdles are jumped when it reaches 5,000 head.
5. It is virtually impossible to know whether the obligations of the licence will be met because the clause is so vague. It requires the feedlot to ensure odours escaping from the feedlot do not cause unreasonable loss of amenity to locals. This is far too subjective. Does it mean they could be shut down if on a few occasions a year when operating at peak capacity and the climatic conditions are just right (wind, humidity, temperature), a couple of locals lodge a complaint about the odour? What level of odour would be considered to be unreasonable? Under the new licence conditions the Thompsons could be closed down at any time and if they have to await a departmental enquiry before a determination can be made about any new complaint the business could go broke regardless of the outcome.
6. An extensive piggery has been operating on the property next door for 20 years. The complaints ‘campaign’ about odours seems to have coincided with the Thompsons public expression of scepticism regarding climate change alarmism.
I do not know the Thompsons personally, I have read various reports on the project and have corresponded extensively with members of the Government including the Minister of Environment in Western Australia.
As far as I can tell, the Thompsons have approached the feedlot development in a very professional manner, have taken all reasonable ‘best practice’ steps regarding animal welfare, waste management and environmental care. They have done everything reasonable to meet concerns raised and adjust to the changing license conditions regardless of whether they were justified.
What’s happening to them is a business person’s worst nightmare. How much harder must it be when you are trying to raise four young children in your adopted country?