The operators of two chicken farms in the Shire of Gingin have been fined for mishandling waste at their egg farming operations in contravention of conditions imposed in an environmental protection notice issued by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
CCF Cocking Children Farms and CF Farms (formerly Snowdale Holdings) own two parcels of land in Beermullah, in the Shire of Gingin, on which commercial egg farming operations are conducted.
Back in July 2017 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced the Federal Court had ordered Snowdale Holdings to pay penalties totalling $750,000 for making false or misleading representations that its eggs were ‘free range’, in proceedings brought by the commission.
According to Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) groundwater from the egg producers’ Beermullah premises flows south-west into Whitfield Brook and the conservation category wetlands, which are the highest priority and most valuable category of wetlands.
On August 7 DWER said the egg producers were convicted on July 1 following pleas of guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court of three counts (collectively) of failing to comply with conditions of environmental protection notices in May 2020 and June 2020 – namely by allowing chicken waste (comprising of dead chickens, chicken faeces, litter from chicken sheds or eggs) to be buried, stored, stockpiled, spread or disposed of on the ground of their commercial egg operations.
DWER said following the guilty pleas and convictions, CCF Cocking Children Farms was fined $35,000 while CF Farms received a $25,000 fine and the director of the two companies was fined $20,000.
CF Farms Pty Ltd was ordered to pay $15,000 costs for the ‘chicken waste’ charges.
But the sentences imposed were subject to an appeal.
Following that appeal a notice appeared in the West Australian on Tuesday, October 1 with the egg producers saying they acknowledged that they were convicted in the Perth Magistrates Court of three counts (collectively) of failing to comply with a term of an environmental protection notice in May 2020 and June 2020, namely by allowing chicken waste (comprising of dead chickens, chicken faeces, litter from chicken sheds or eggs) to be stored, stockpiled, spread or disposed of on or onto the ground of their commercial egg operations over the premises.
The Perth Magistrates Court convicted the accused following their pleas of guilty and ordered they pay a fine of $60,000 and costs of $15,000 as well as publication of the notice.
The Good Farmer – stocked by both Woolworths and Coles – is one of the brand of free range eggs sold by the Beermullah egg producers.
DWER assurance executive director Ruth Dowd said not complying with environmental protection notices was a serious issue.
“Leachate from chicken manure and chicken carcasses can contain bacteria, nutrients including ammonia, and metals including copper and zinc,’’ she said.
“Contamination by leachate can impact water quality and sensitive aquatic ecosystems for more than 100 years.
“Hopefully this will encourage other businesses to comply with environmental protection notices when they are issued.”
This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 14 October 2024.