DANDARAGAN Shire councillors will meet tonight to decide whether they will support a proposal from Westpork to build one of the biggest piggeries in the State.
A shire planning report has recommended the councillors back the proposal under certain conditions.
The final decision for approval will be made by the Midwest/Wheatbelt Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP).
If approved, the $21 million piggery will house 68,000 pigs in two modules, with plans for a third module that could hold a further 34,000 pigs.
The land for the proposed piggery was purchased in December last year and is on Agaton Road, 16 kilometres northwest of the Moora townsite and 22km northeast of Dandaragan.
A 24-day period for public submissions closed yesterday, and several community members have voiced their concerns about the plans.
Christine Brown lives on a farm 4km from the site with partner Kevin McLean and said she had fears surrounding the smell and scale of the piggery.
"Our biggest concern in the odour, it's situated really high on the local landscape and so is our house and with the south-easterly prevailing winds we're in the direct line of that breeze," she said.
"Open effluent ponds smell, there's no doubt about it and they're saying that a 2.5km buffer zone for 68,000 pigs is adequate, well everyone I've spoken to people who lives near the piggeries in Gingin say they can smell them easily up to 25 km away.
"My partner has been here, he's been on the family farm for almost 53 years and two of our three boys are very keen to return to the farm in the future.
"Having had the beginning of that very difficult conversation of what you would do if it became unbearable, it's simply heartbreaking."
Ms Brown said she also had concerns about the visual appearance of the piggery and conditions of local roads with increased traffic.
She said Westpork had had limited consultation with the Dandaragan and Moora community, and locals were given just over a fortnight to enter their public submissions.
"It's not that we're against economic development, every small community, every shire in rural Australia needs that and we're not even against the piggery as such, it's just that to realise that it's so big and so massive, it's really overwhelming," Ms Brown said.
Westpork said landholders neighbouring the proposed site had been consulted, along with councillors on the Moora and Dandaragan shires.
In a statement, the company said it had a well designed effluent management system with a strong focus on protecting the environment and minimising odour.
The piggery is expected to employ 50 full-time staff, with a further 25 joining the operation when the third module comes online.
Chief executive officer Neil Ferguson said this development formed a key part of Westpork's long-term growth plans designed to meet the increasing demand for fresh pork from Australian consumers.
Mr Ferguson said the site was deliberately chosen for its community assets and infrastructure.
"When you are looking to employ 50 people in a business you need to be thinking of schooling, medical, banking, community facilities and from this perspective Moora and the surrounding area is ideally placed," he said.
"If we can deliver on this project there is a long-term flow on effect, our preference is to hire and buy services locally.
"One of the consultants estimated that this project will translate to another 50 indirect local jobs in and around Moora.
"I am not alone in this view that this is the best location."
Shire of Dandaragan chief executive officer Tony Nottle said the proposal would fit in well with the Shire's vision for its future.
"A lot of our issues are we've got a lifestyle we can sell but we don't have the jobs, and it fits in with a lot of strategic plans too going forward so we're looking at a lot more intensification and diversification of our agriculture in the area as well," he said.
"It's a massive project so even just during the construction phase the job potential and economic development of both our shire and Moora will benefit from this.
"It's just got to be done right."
Mr Nottle said while he understood the concerns of the community, Westpork had gone to significant efforts to avoid potential problems.
"They have done a full environmental study, a nutrient management plan, they've already done some test boreholes as well and actually done some rectification measures as well to make sure they are minimising the risk of any contamination and reducing the odour issues as well.
"I can see why they (nearby residents) are concerned, because of probably what the potential could be and I sympathise with them.
"I think the issue is going to have to really come down to a decision that's not actually made by the council in the end."
The JDAP will deliver its report on Thursday, April 20.
