At their Ordinary Council Meeting last Wednesday, Southern Downs Regional Council approved a contentious development application by Arolla Pastoral Company Pty Ltd to build a sheep and cattle feedlot at Mount Marshall.

The property, on the corner of McDonnell and Glengallan roads, has been approved for 999 standard cattle units (SCU) and 6,000 standard sheep units (SSU).

The feedlot is of much interest to the community, with the application receiving 74 submissions, 11 in favour and 63 against.

Cr Marco Gliori was the lone voice to vote against the feedlot’s approval.

From the original application, slight adjustments were made to benefit nearby properties, including imposing a 20m vegetation buffer strip and lowering the approved SCU from 1,000 to 999 due to planning considerations.

Cr Cynthia McDonald said the facility will be on the smaller end of feedlots.

Many councillors went out of their way to congratulate the applicants for their proposal.

“I applaud the applicants for putting the application forward,” she said.

An important issue for those who made submissions against the application was the damage trucks would do to the local roads that are not designed for much traffic.

The application was approved subject to the condition all heavy vehicle access to the site is to be via Marrinans Road, which will be improved to a gravel standard suitable for the proposed use.

A limit has been placed on truck movements of twice a day, five days a week.

Cr McDonald, who lives next to a feedlot, said during the most recent drought the majority of farmers were thanking the heavens above for feedlotters.

“I have not had any major concerns living next to a 5,000 head feedlot,” she said.

Cr McDonald praised the applicants for diversifying their current assets and said they were, down the track, looking into embyro harvesting and breeding.

Speaking against the application, Cr Gliori said the roads would not cope well with the increased truck volume.

He said the 63 submissions against made no objections about regular farming activities but rather objections to this specific proposal.

He mentioned there are already six intensive farming operations within ten kilometres of Allora.

One submitter operates a nearby dairy farm and is concerned manure and effluent from the feedlot would be carried to his property after flooding.

Cr Gliori was also concerned about the odour impact from westerly winds towards properties on the eastern side of the feedlot.

Cr Sheryl Windle said it is a very difficult decision to make.

As part of their preparation for making a decision, councillors journeyed out to Mount Marshall earlier in the week to meet with the applicants and submitters.

Many submitters made the trip to Stanthorpe for the meeting.

The land subject to the application totals 160.9 hectares across two lots.

This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 20 July 2022.