It looks like the proposed piggery for Eulie will finally be put out of its misery after council called an extraordinary meeting to officially reject the proposal from Blantyre Farms.
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Hilltops Regional Council put out a press release on Tuesday to advise the public of an extraordinary meeting on July 12.
But the public will get one final chance to have its voice heard, with a forum to be held on the Tuesday before the meeting.
The council says those wishing to attend the forum to present their views are required to register by 4.30pm on Friday, July 7.
Registrations can either be made by emailing mail@hilltops.nsw.gov.au or phoning (02) 6386 0100. Speaking opportunities will be limited to five minutes per person.
The final nail in the piggery coffin comes after a protracted 18-month saga.
Those who support the development say the piggery would have been a jolt in the arm for the Harden community, with up to 20 jobs being made available to locals, as well as a flow-on effect for local businesses.
Staunch animal advocates launched a co-ordinated campaign to reject the proposal, with council receiving around 5000 submissions – more than double the population of Harden – which raised questions over their legitimacy.
It was a question local animal activist Lisa Ryan vehemently rejected, saying the proponents could have drummed up support the same way the ‘Say No To Blantyre Farms in Harden’ group did – by engaging with like-minded people across the nation through a strong social media campaign.
There is a strong argument that the rules around who can enter submissions into local proposals need changing.
At the moment, a person from across the Nullarbor can express an opinion on whether or not a development application goes ahead in our own backyard.
While the animal activists played within the rules and won this time, what would happen if right-winged lobbyists managed to put together a similar campaign?
But the killer blow was from NSW government agencies the Environmental Protection Authority and the Office of Environment and Heritage, which both advised council in February that they would not provide General Terms of Approval.
The meeting on July 12 is more a formality than anything else, but Blantyre Farms’ Edwina Beveridge said the organisation would be looking at its options to determine its next move.
