Automated feedlot proposal draws community ire in Victoria's south-east

A proposal in Victoria's south-east to create one of the state's first undercover, automated cattle feedlots has drawn community opposition with residents saying it will create road safety and odour issues for neighbouring properties.

The proposal to build a 2,206-head feedlot at Llowalong, north of Maffra and Stratford, would see cattle housed in enclosed sheds and fed on a 90-day cycle before being transported for processing.

At Wellington Shire Council's October meeting, local resident Nick Lee, speaking on behalf of his neighbours, called for the application to be rejected.

"The proximity to other farms and homes will have the following impacts: increased traffic movements and potential impacts on local road infrastructure, increased noise levels, odour and pollution of nearby residences, environmental and health concerns," he said.

"Llowalong Road is not suitable for that volume of heavy traffic.

"Adding more than 850 truck movements a year would materially increase the risk to residents, farmers, other road users and heavy vehicle drivers."

Opponents of the feedlot presented a petition against the proposal, with almost 700 signatures, to the Wellington Shire Council at its October 6 meeting.

The motion to reject the proposal was carried by the council, where it was referred to the general manager of development for it to be discussed at a future council meeting.

As a result, council chief executive David Morcom said a decision on the application would likely not be made until next year.

"These applications can be quite complex. There can be quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and we will certainly keep you abridged of that process," he said.

Proponent touts feedlot's benefits

The feedlot's proponent, farmer Angus Zilm, said the project presented an opportunity to introduce advanced cattle feeding technology in Gippsland, with a focus on animal welfare, efficient feeding and environmental management.

"A substantial amount of technical investigation, design and review has gone into preparing the application over the last two years," he said.

"We have worked with engineers and specialist agricultural and environmental consultants to assess the site, develop the proposal and prepare the supporting reports."

Mr Zilm said work was continuing as the team responded to the council's questions and community concerns.

"We know our neighbours have questions and we take that seriously," he said.

"We want to get this right, so we're working through the concerns with our specialist advisers and providing council with the information it needs."

Mr Zilm said the feedlot would offer contract feeding, allowing local cattle producers to have their animals fed at the site rather than managing the entire process themselves.

He said access to a facility closer to home could reduce transport costs, while the development could also provide educational opportunities for school and university students studying agriculture.

Feedlots crucial for markets

According to a report by Deloitte Access Economics commissioned by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) the country's feedlot industry is expanding.

The report found feedlots spent $4.3 billion on cattle and feed in 2023 and 2024, while the number of cattle on feed more than doubled between 2000 and 2024.

Feedlots' share of cattle slaughter also tripled, rising from 12 per cent to 36 per cent.

The report estimated a hypothetical 5,000-head feedlot could generate $14.4 million in economic benefits, rising to $86.2 million for a 30,000-head facility.

Melbourne Veterinary School senior consultant John Webb-Ware said the feedlot industry played an important role in supplying Australian beef markets.

"To supply quality product year-round is a real challenge in Australia," Dr Webb-Ware said.

"There's obviously niche markets and very important markets for grass-fed cattle in Australia and overseas.

Dr Webb-Ware also said feedlots were subject to criteria intended to address potential impacts on surrounding properties.

"There's pretty stringent requirements for feedlotting to counter the concerns for noise and smell and all that sort of stuff," he said.

"It's obviously got to tick off the specific requirements which are appropriate for the local area which [the Llowalong proposal] is going through that process."