General News
4 November, 2025
Objectors “smashed” by approval of controversial broiler farm on Moolort Plains
A proposed broiler farm has been approved by VCAT in the latest step in an over year long saga.
The Moolort Plains will be home to another broiler farm after the controversial permit application was given the go ahead by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
The proposed broiler farm was approved on October 16 despite objections from local landholders, the Central Goldfields Shire Council, and the group developing the Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail.
Planned for 705 Baringhup Road, Carisbrook, the broiler farm includes six sheds and associated buildings that can cater for up to 400,000 birds.
While the applicant was the land owners, Hurse Land Pty Ltd, Pavilion Farms will be the organisation who runs the broiler farm.
This application will be their fourth broiler farm in the area with the company’s owner, Michael Vukadinovic, having previously said he has plans for more.
Objectors raised concerns surrounding odour, environmental impact, tourism, noise, landscaping, biosecurity, traffic, complaints and the accumulation of adverse effects.
However, while some of these concerns became conditions on the permit, many couldn’t be fully considered under the relevant planning law or the Victorian Code for Broiler Farms.
It’s the limits of these laws that were criticised by objectors but was outside the responsibility of the tribunal.
Submissions made surrounding social effects, including that six years of responding to multiple broiler farm proposals left community members feeling “burnt out” while others “just can’t take any more”, weren’t relevant to the application.
VCAT recommended submissions of that type were better made to the council, other relevant planning authorities, and to those responsible for maintaining the Broiler Code.
“We are not tasked with considering and advocating changes to planning policy or the Broiler Code,” the decision read.
Similarly, VCAT found that some of Central Goldfields Shire Council’s concerns about the design, characterisation and assessment of the proposal related to what they considered shortcomings in the Broiler Code.
“The Council pointed out that the last update was in 2018 and claimed the Broiler Code is becoming ‘out-dated’,” the decision read.
“We must apply the Broiler Code as it stands, and the Council should consider requesting an amendment of the Broiler Code to address any alleged shortcomings.”
Nor could the VCAT tribunal consider alleged failures of Pavilion Farms to comply with permit conditions on their pre-existing farms.
“Planning permits are not like a licence that is granted to a specific operator who must demonstrate experience in operating a particular use or must satisfy a character test,” the decision read.
Central Goldfields Shire Council, alongside the EPA, were investigating possible compliance issues at Pavilion Farms in March this year.
However, at the time a council spokesperson said they were focusing their “limited resources” on assessing new permit applications.
It’s because of this resource scarcity that objector, Carisbrook landholder, and long-time environmental advocate Alison Teese OAM is concerned about the permit conditions.
While the “comprehensive” permit conditions were a positive she said it puts the burden on the shire to oversee them.
“It puts an incredible load on council’s budget,” she said.
A Central Goldfields Shire Council spokesperson said they were “disappointed” with VCAT’s decision.
“VCAT acknowledged our concerns and incorporated some of our suggestions into the conditions. These will be included in the planning permit, which we expect will be issued in the next few weeks,” they said.
“Council will actively monitor the conditions which have been imposed, including landscape screening, litter management, and complaints protocol.”
Council unanimously voted to refuse the chicken “factory” at the May council meeting despite it already going to VCAT.
Councillor Gerard Murphy said “enough is enough” when it comes to broiler farms on the Moolort Plains.
“This is rather emotional for us, I don’t know if emotion should get into it, but we are here for our community,” Cr Murphy said.
Ms Teese said that existing planning law favours corporate interests rather than the local experience of farmers.
“Even if 10 percent of the Central Goldfields Shire wrote objections to it, it could still get through VCAT with the existing planning law,” she said.
“All the good common sense in the world can’t stop these permits.”
Mr Vukadinovic was contacted for comment.