Broiler farm
In all Victorian planning schemes, a planning permit is required to use and develop land for a broiler farm in Victoria. There are a range of zones where broiler farms may be permitted, and this is outlined in the Victoria Planning Provisions:
- Farming Zone
- Rural Activity Zone
- Green Wedge Zone
- Green Wedge A Zone*
- Rural Conservation Zone*
- Rural Living Zone*
- Urban Growth Zone*
*Only for a meat chicken production application under the Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines.
Local laws should be considered when determining if an activity is permissible.
For more information on permit requirements across zones in Victoria, download:
- Permit requirements across zones in Victoria (PDF - 157.0 KB)
- Permit requirements across zones in Victoria (WORD - 33.3 KB)
What is a broiler farm?
A broiler farm is land used to keep broiler chickens for the production of meat. Chickens are grown to specific processing weight in sheds, where they are free to roam the shed floor and where they have ready and continuous access to feed and water. Broiler farms can also include an outdoor area adjacent to the sheds.
Once birds are old enough, they have regular access to the outdoor range area in addition to the indoor shed space. These farms are often referred to as free-range broiler (chicken meat) farms.
Free-range broiler farms can vary significantly from very small-scale farms with mobile housing systems (e.g. mobile sheds, shelters or caravans) located in paddocks/pastures to large scale commercial farms with tunnel ventilated sheds and associated infrastructure.
Shed ventilation is typically provided by either natural cross ventilation across the shed width, modern tunnel ventilation systems, or a combination of extraction fans, natural ventilation and/or tunnel ventilation. The shed floor is covered with litter, which is a bedding material – usually rice hulls or wood shavings. Feed is provided automatically via an auger system in regularly spaced pans, and water is commonly supplied through a nipple drinking system.
The chickens are grown to an age of five to eight weeks. They are collected for processing at intervals within this period, depending on their weight and the requirements of the chicken meat processor. Following the removal of a complete batch of chickens, the litter bedding is removed, sheds are cleaned and disinfected, and fresh litter is applied, to decrease the risk of disease, and to prepare for the following batch of chickens. Each grower rears an average of approximately five and a half batches a year.
Growers typically rear chickens on behalf of the processing companies, in return for a growing fee. The processing company delivers day-old chicks, provides feed and medication as required, provides management advice throughout the growing period and collects the birds when they are ready to process.
The grower provides the infrastructure (shedding and equipment), and the labour required to rear the chickens to processing age.
Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines - June 2018
These Guidelines provide information and direction to applicants and planners for assessing planning permit applications to establish or modify a low density mobile outdoor poultry farm. They outline what planners should expect in the application, and present key decision guidelines to support assessment of the application.
These Guidelines set out the eligibility requirements for a simplified planning assessment process based on the farms having low environmental and amenity risks and apply to a planning permit application for a poultry farm for meat production (farm capacity of no more than 10,000 birds).
Additional planning requirements are outlined in the Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines that must be met.
Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines (PDF - 594.5 KB)
Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines (WORD - 98.5 KB)
Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm - Supporting Documents
Development plan template
A development plan contains the information that planners should expect from a planning application. It outlines the way in which the facility will be sited, built and managed to meet the objectives and standards of the guidelines.
A template is provided below to assist applicants in creating their plan. The template includes guidance notes/examples and checklists to assist applicants in identifying the information to include in each section.
LDMO Poultry Farm Development Plan (WORD - 1.5 MB)
LDMO Poultry Farm Development Plan - accessible (WORD - 1.5 MB)
Application checklist
The Application checklist has been developed for planners to ensure that all information required by the Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines has been included in a planning permit application.
The checklist is intended to be used in conjunction with the Victorian Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farm Planning Permit Guidelines.
Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 (Plus 2018 Amendments)
The Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 (Plus 2018 Amendments) was developed to provide clear environmental standards for those wishing to establish new, or expand existing, broiler farms, and assurance for the surrounding landholders who may be impacted by broiler farming activities.
The Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 (Plus 2018 Amendments) provides the basis for the planning, design, assessment, approval, construction, operation and management of broiler farms in Victoria. Compliance with the Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 (Plus 2018 Amendments) is mandatory for the establishment of all new broiler farms and expansions in Victoria.
The 2018 amendments included:
- New definition for broiler farm to include free-range chicken meat farms.
- A minimum farm size for which the Code applies (only applies to farms with more than 10,000 birds).
Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 Plus 2018 Amendments (PDF - 4.8 MB)
Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009 Plus 2018 Amendments (WORD - 307.9 KB)
Conventional broiler farms converting to free range
The Victoria Planning Provisions allows an existing, lawfully established conventional broiler farm to convert to a free range system, provided that:
- The number of chickens is not increased.
- There are no more than 150,000 chickens.
This permit exemption exists because:
- Most existing broiler farms have been established in line with a planning permit where the siting of the broiler sheds has been considered.
- There are no significant new amenity and environmental impacts introduced as a result of a conventional system's conversion to free-range.
Generic environmental management plan for broiler chicken farms
An example of a completed Environment Management Plan is available for the management of new or expanded Victorian broiler chicken farms in accordance with the Victorian Code for Broiler Farms (2009) Plus 2018 amendments that aligns with Element 6.
Broiler Generic Environmental Management Plan (PDF - 112.4 KB)
Broiler Generic Environmental Management Plan (WORD - 69.5 KB)
Further information on Poultry farms
PPN63: Applying for a Planning Permit to Farm Chickens
Provides guidance for applicants and responsible authorities about: preparing and assessing a planning permit application for a broiler farm; and adding an outdoor range area to an existing broiler farm. This practice note does not apply to poultry farms for egg production, poultry hatcheries or the raising of pullets and broiler breeders, and to non-broiler poultry species such as quail, duck, turkey and geese.
View PPN63 at Department of Transport and Planning.
Contact
For further information contact the Agriculture Victoria Planning and Advisory Service for all agricultural land use planning enquiries on agvic.planning@agriculture.vic.gov.au.