General News
4 February, 2025
Proposal sows doubt for rail trail
The possibility of Pavilion’s ongoing broiler farm applications being approved by council, despite their proximity to the proposed rail trail, was described as “very dissonant” by the group’s president.
The Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail (CMRT), which has been awarded $400,000 from the State Government for the pre-construction stage, has been left wondering what the future holds since public notice for two nearby broiler farms began in May last year.
The buffer zones of the proposed broiler farms, intended to mitigate visual amenity issues such as odour and dust, overlaps with over one kilometre of the rail corridor the rail trail development will follow. The Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 (plus 2018 amendments) implies this will increase the probability of “offensive odour and dust adversely impacting the surrounding community on the trail.
Janice Simpson, CMRT president, said it’s “full steam ahead” despite the possible impact of the broiler farm applications.
“[The proposed broiler farms] won’t stop the development of the rail trail however they will make the trail a less attractive option if they go ahead,” she said.
This is due to amenity reasons such as odour, light, and noise highlighted in many of the 80 submissions council have received so far.
“On our best advice from council it seems you can still use that land [for our purpose],” Ms Simpson said.
However, this is despite there being a 30 x 50 metre “mortality composting pad” within 100 metres of the rail corridor.
Steve Foskey, project director of the pre-construction project, said the proposed broiler farms aren’t yet included in the scope. If they are approved Mr Foskey is unsure what that will mean for the CMRT on the Moolort Plains.
“That could well mean we can’t even use that part of the rail line for the rail trail. If that is the case, what the hell do we do,” he said.
The pre-construction project, expected to be completed by April 2026, involves creating a costed design of the rail trail for future funding and development.
Alongside the $400,000 Victorian Government Enabling Tourism Fund both Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields Shires have pledged $40,000 each to co-fund the project. While the Central Goldfields Shire Council have been supportive of the project Mr Foskey said if the broiler farms were approved they’d need reassurance on what that means.
“They’ve certainly got skin in the game,” he said.
“We’d want to seek some reassurance they still support the rail trail.”
Ms Simpson made clear council don’t need to vote in favour of the broiler farm applications citing Mount Alexander Shire previously rejecting similar plans.
“The council has got power. And because they ... will be contributing to the development of the rail trail for the first two years, why would they chuck away that money,” she said.
Ms Simpson believes that the council’s support and promotion of strategies that benefit tourism, economic development, and health and wellbeing means it’d be “rather odd” if council voted for something that could effect that.
“It would be very dissonant,” she said.
Debbie Macer, member of the executive committee for the Central Goldfields Bushwalking & Hiking Club Inc, said the rail trail will promote improved physical, mental, and social wellbeing. However, if the broiler farms were approved, Ms Maser believes it would take away the trail’s appeal.
“From a personal perspective, you’re riding along, you’re seeing all this wonderful countryside, bush, stories about what’s going on there, and I think the broiler farms would be a bit of an eye sore,” she said.
Ms Macer finds the proposed broiler farms would be a “black spot” on the environmentally concious tourism the trail could attract.
“It would be so lovely if you had tourists from Melbourne, all over the place, and they can jump on the train [and] go to Castlemaine or Maryborough, do the trail, and jump on the train and go back,” she said.
Ms Macer hopes that when council decide on the applications outcome in the first quarter of this year they think carefully about the long term impact.
“I hope that they will think very carefully about the permanent effect the broiler farms will have on the surrounding area. Really take into consideration the [money] that’s already been spent on the rail trail. We don’t want that to be a complete waste,” she said.
Owner of Pavilion Farms, Michael Vukadinovic, claimed in an open letter last year the two broiler farm applications and a future biogas plant will bring almost $100 million to the shire and create 16 local jobs, eight of which in the possible plant.
However, if Pavilion’s broiler farm applications were approved Ms Simpson is concerned what the community would lose.
“The shire would gain from rate revenue if the broiler farms go ahead but that’s all they’re going to gain and we are going to lose a lot more,” she said.