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.
Donation sent.
Keep us posted on how it goes.
Thanks
What all states and provinces need is a “Right to Farm Act” as follows:
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ministry/legsum/FPPR.stm
One buys peacefull pastoral views at their peril. It saves a lot of grief and court time.
As I made my contribution I had some thoughts on smells and people:
I grew up in rural Oklahoma among farms and oil wells. One uncle was a rancher and raised cattle and another was an oilman and raised oil. Anyone who has lived near either will know that they smell. A sour well produces a smell like no other and cow manure stinks. But as my uncles, aunts and cousins didn’t seem to mind the smell that put food on the table I got used to it too.
I later moved to the middle part of the state of Georgia. It was there that I met my wife of 44+ years. Her parents lived in an area that was “blessed” with a paper mill. Now there is a smell with a capital S. During my courtship I was reluctant to visit if the wind was blowing the smell toward the house but I figured that if I wanted to make this beautiful woman my wife that I’d have to get used to it. So I did.
People can get used to any kind of smell if there’s a reason to do so. On the other hand there are those who just salivate at the thought of making trouble. Witness the shenanigans that are the fodder of the neighborhood/homeowners associations. I once bought a large piece of property near Atlanta, Georgia. At the closing I got a 40 page set of covenants – rules as to what was allowed and not allowed on any piece of property. We built our home deep in the woods and well away from the road. In fact, the house could not be seen unless you drove down the drive for several hundred feet, over a hill and around a curve. I was surprised to receive a letter from the attorney representing the homeowners association telling me that I had to remove my boat from the property as it was not allowed. I never did find out how anyone knew that there was a boat on the property nor why it bothered them. A group of small minded people can make nasty neighbors in any country
Ah yes the National Bank – the fair weather friend. Just donated. Good luck Thompson family.
The problem for us in the US is that we are on the same path. TWO MORE MONTHS!! Donation sent.
Another donation from a former Okie. The point about smells is important: sane people will tolerate a smell if it’s part of their community’s productivity. When you get rid of the smell you diminish your own wealth. (Caveat: real pollution like lead is a whole different matter.)
That is why in many rural communities if someone from outside complains about the odor the answer is usually “thats the smell of money”!
Lots of industries have characteristic smells — if you don’t like the smell live someplace else.
Larry
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.
Donation underway.
Donation sent.
I am ashamed to call myself Australian. The tyranny of the unproductive minority and the unadulterated clueless class.
I grew up on a dry-land wheat farm in ND that my grandfather homesteaded 111 years ago. Also traveled fairly extensively around Australia in the 1980’s: Good people; good country; seemed like an island of sanity in the larger mad world around them. And now:
How in the world did that fair land and people ever get themselves saddled with government bureaucrats who would do such a thing for no good reason to hard-working farmers ??… Sad. Very sad.
I had some spare dollars bouncing around my PayPal account; threw a few in the Thompson family direction via the Jo Nova link. Thanks 2 both Jo Nova and WUWT for shining some daylight on this crazy situation.
Dear Amazing People of this World-
We’re overwhelmed — not with our problems, but with YOUR goodness. The extremists of this world would have everyone believe that people are bad and a blight to this planet. We have ever increasing proof that the truth is anything but that. Cash donations, offers of housing, offers of legal advice, food… your generosity is moving, to say the least.
“Thank You” seems utterly inadequate, but it’s all we can say. We hope to repay you by continuing to fight, and hopefully using our atrocious story to make a positive difference.
We’re scrambling to figure out our next move(s). We have no idea what to expect, but are getting advice from all quarters as to how we can respond when action is taken.
In the mean time, know that we are buoyed by your kindness, your support, and most importantly, your recognition that we fight something dangerous and much bigger than just us. We are but one example of the “unintended consequences” of centralised control.
The principles of our story apply to many, many stories right around the world. When non-producers stand over producers and have the power to stop production through complaints and activism, our society is in big trouble.
Warm Regards and Many Thanks,
Matt & Janet
(and Kate, Abby, Will & Luke!)
May I please point out that the WA state gov’t are centre-right, and hence I really doubt the leftist-greens conspiracy that some are suggesting?
Used to live in Northern Nevada. Lots of farming and cattle in the valley south of Carson. California Liberals moved into the area and were passing around petitions to stop the ranching. Ranching is so…so…distasteful. As the Libs nibbled their brie and sipped their chardonnay, the odor and flies were a disagreeable presence that lessened their enjoyment of the charmingly simple pastoral experience.
Mothers, tell your children that California Liberals (and liberals in general) are the Ninth Plague of the Bible. The Plague of Darkness.
Sent a donation, but…..
We have the same trouble right here in River City.
The Spotted Owl Episode was built on a hoax because the liberal activists who had taken over the bureaucracy thought that lumbering was “distasteful”. Some 150,000 jobs were lost. There were no other jobs in those small communities so the people lost everything. Homes, dreams. college for the kids. Everything gone and families crushed by bureaucratic fiat.
A humanitarian disaster greater than Hurricane Katrina. And the vile elitist pigs didn’t care about those people. The people were insignificant, just dirt to be ground under their self-righteous boots.
As the New York Times once said about the murder of 10,000,000 people in the Ukraine (1930’s): “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs”. And you can’t make a Utopian Paradise if you worry about the insignificant. Like you and me.
Franz Kafka understood. “Everyman” being crushed by a mindless self-serving bureaucracy. “The Trial” comes to mind.
http://www.kafka-online.info/the-trial.html
or for just an overview
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial
Pray for our country and the Thompson family.
We all deserve better.
Steamboat Jack (Jon Jewett’s evil twin)
Just emptied my remaining paypal balance into it. Best of luck.
Anthony thank you for your continuing support for Matt and Janet.
I am Australian, 7th generation to be exact – i too like the Thompson’s had our home taken by stealth of regulation under the guise of “for the good of the environment” and all that encompasses our children lost their home, their land, their country.
Farmers in Australia are now being displaced at an ever increasing rate. Our farmers are suiciding at an escalating pace – i fear for my own son and daughters.
Australian’s do fight! We do stand up – however it appears that a well oiled “green machine” has a very good head start – and we all – world wide need to catch up, stand up, and support our producers on every continent –
Power to the People to reinstate common sense, reinstate Property Rights and bring back compassion and humanity !
Janet H. Thompson says:
September 18, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Dear Amazing People of this World-
—–
Dear Janet, Matt, and family….
YOU are the amazing people of the world!! Thank you for your adherence to your beliefs, and we all hope that you will prevail.
If you have any neighborhood issues with odors from livestock manure, please have Anthony contact me by email. That is one of my areas of expertise. One way to beat these slugs is to engage them in their own tactics, such as using best sustainable practice for your operation (I’m willing to bet that you do that already).
People like you are the foundation of humanity, providing us all with food, raw materials and valuable lessons about life. Your story has touched many.
Cheers, Charles the Dr.P.H. (University of Illinois, USA)
The biggest issue I see here isn’t with the “stink”. The problem more than likely lies with the fact that the Western Australian government has this thing about crushing farmers to make way for mining. I wouldn’t mind betting that within 10 years, there’s going to be a big old dirty open cut mine where this “dirty” feedlot was planned to be… Neighbours be damned.
I do have a suggestion for Matt & Janet though, coming from someone in the industry. Come east 😉 There’s still plenty of room for good hardworking people like you here in central west NSW.
Used to live two miles from the end of an air force runway back before they made engines so powerful the planes could gain a lot of altitude before they passed over my house, on full after-burner. It never occurred to me to complain about the “sound of freedom” passing overhead and rattling my china out of the cabinet. Oh, the other major employer in the area was a paper mill. The smell was terrible but I never complained about that because I knew people who depended on that plant for their livelihood.
I’ve just made a donation to the bank and also e-mailed the story to some of my contacts and asked them to do the same. Hopefully people will continue to do the right thing by the Thompsons. They are such a genuine couple that it would be wrong not to help them out. Good luck in the future, we have not heard the last of Matt and Janet.
Is it possible to have an update of how many have donated?
Sent some Yankee dollars their way.
I grew up on an upstate New York dairy farm. We also ran some pigs, chickens, ducks, bees, you name it. I always thought it smelled good. : ) Whenever I run across the smell, it reminds me of my youthful home.
John
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
Thanks for this, there is always two sides to a story. First let me say that I live on the edge of a small town, less than 1km from 2 cattle farms, and we occasionally have to endure some fairly pungent smells when the farmers are muck speading on the surrounding fields. I have no problem with this, it is part of country life, and the farms were here long before me and my neighbours.
I read the neighbours’ (and the Agricultural College’s) compliants and there clearly is a very serious odour problem. (I have also read Jo Nova’s response to these, and her graph (of numer of cattle v. number of complaints) is interesting but flawed, as people wouldn’t complain so much early on because they would be cutting the Thompsons slack, in the hope that the smells were teething problems. and there surely be many other factors). The neighbouring residents don’t appear to be typical greens or eco-tards (their points are well reasoned unlike most ecotards’ posts on the Guardian or Independent). Some made the important point that they had settled in the town 50 years ago, and had had no problem with the old pig farm, as they recognised that as a typical rural activity (and it was there before them). The Thompsons came to the area only a few years ago with a new much larger scale agricultural operation. It seems that public assurances given to locals that there would not be any smells proved to be false, and many of the neighbours can longer spend anytime outside, and have to close up all their windows, and retreat indoors (and switch off the A/C), which cannot be pleasant in a hot climate.
So it seems fairly clear that this cattle feeding lot should not have been granted a license as it is far too close to the existing residents and town. And 10,000 cattle may be small compared to what they have in Texas, but I have no doubt that 10,000 intensively reared cattle will make a hell of a stink, even with good waste management policies and practices.
So while I have sympathy for the Thompsons, and recognise that they have undoubtedly been messed around by the bureaucrats in the environmental agency, they started the enterprise in the wrong location. The root of the problem is not the bureaucrats trying to shut down the Thomsons, it is that they granted them a license in the first place. Sadly, the long term solution is for the Thompsons to cut their losses and relocate the business to somewhere more appropriate. So I am with John in CA and Mike Jonas and won’t be donating.
“The root of the problem is not the bureaucrats trying to shut down the Thomsons, it is that they granted them a license in the first place.”
So, you’re saying it’s still not their fault, but that’s your rationale for not helping? That’s [snip].
I hit the button, and I hope it helps!
John says:
May I please point out that the WA state gov’t are centre-right, and hence I really doubt the leftist-greens conspiracy that some are suggesting?
The centre right government as you call it took over in Sept 2008,after the damage had already been done.
http://joannenova.com.au/2010/07/tyranny-how-to-destroy-a-business-with-environmental-red-tape/
just to clarify: We obtained a Works Approval (#3600) from the Department of Environment in 2002, and final go-ahead in 2003, after being on hold over a year. That works approval (permission to build) was site-specific. We received permission to construct a 14,940 head beef cattle feedlot in this location. We’ve had 5 licences so far, and had staged our development, so there is a different throughput noted on each one.
We have built to a capacity of 10,000, and operated at that level prior to 2008, when the DEC cut our throughput to 6,000 head max. They knew that we could not cash flow this, because we had already invested the capital to build the infrastructure to 10,000. Even if there were true environmental problems (which there weren’t), surely an established business should be able to effectively operate through those problems. As someone has so rightly pointed out, the piggery was allowed to do so (although the piggery was still very much on the front page when we came to town…the complainants just turned their attention to us; the piggery is a great neighbour, and we have a great life on-site, but you know what? It smells often, and occasionally, it smells horrendously. We would never complain, as we knew they were there before we bought our property, and we are proud that they are producing Australian pork!)
John says:
May I please point out that the WA state gov’t are centre-right, and hence I really doubt the leftist-greens conspiracy that some are suggesting?
The libs formed a coalition government with independents in Sept 2008,after the damage had been done to the Thompsons
http://joannenova.com.au/2010/07/tyranny-how-to-destroy-a-business-with-environmental-red-tape/
just to clarify: We obtained a Works Approval (#3600) from the Department of Environment in 2002, and final go-ahead in 2003, after being on hold over a year. That works approval (permission to build) was site-specific. We received permission to construct a 14,940 head beef cattle feedlot in this location. We’ve had 5 licences so far, and had staged our development, so there is a different throughput noted on each one.
We have built to a capacity of 10,000, and operated at that level prior to 2008, when the DEC cut our throughput to 6,000 head max. They knew that we could not cash flow this, because we had already invested the capital to build the infrastructure to 10,000. Even if there were true environmental problems (which there weren’t), surely an established business should be able to effectively operate through those problems. As someone has so rightly pointed out, the piggery was allowed to do so (although the piggery was still very much on the front page when we came to town…the complainants just turned their attention to us; the piggery is a great neighbour, and we have a great life on-site, but you know what? It smells often, and occasionally, it smells horrendously. We would never complain, as we knew they were there before we bought our property, and we are proud that they are producing Australian pork.