Proposed transport depot another blow to Majura Valley, says farm lobby

An application to change a Crown lease to build a transport depot on rural land in the Majura Valley has rung alarm bells for the ACT’s farm lobby, which has long been warning of the creep of industrial use on farmland in the area.

The Haskins family’s civil construction company Complex Co Pty Ltd has lodged the development application (DA) for 203 Majura Road (Block 709 Majura), which is zoned NZU1 Broadacre and has been used for some years now for industrial purposes.

The DA says the land, next to the Majura Parkway, has extensive space for parking and a waste-collection area, and would not be lit after hours.

In relation to noise and odour from exhaust, the closest dwelling is more than 760 metres away, and others are more than 960 m.

The DA says the distance to the closest dwelling is expected to be sufficient for any odour to disperse to a level not more than that of exhaust emissions from traffic on Majura Parkway.

It says any impact on the rural character and amenity of the land to the east and north is lessened by the existing woodland vegetation on and next to the site.

The roadside acoustic barriers to the edge of Majura Parkway screen the site from the roadway.

The DA says a green buffer can be planted along the boundary to soften the development’s impact on the landscape.

It says 20 heavy-vehicle trips a day can be expected before and after the peaks, along with a further 40 trips a day by employees, a volume that Majura Road and the Parkway can handle.

The land is not contaminated and there should not be any environmental impacts, the DA says.

However, the Rural Landholders’ Association of Farmers says all stakeholders should be aware of the potential impact of Block 709 on the surrounding community, farming land, and the environment.

It says the Draft East Canberra District Strategy has identified the area as a ”landscape and rural setting precinct”, and the DA is not consistent with the strategic planning.

The association says using the Majura Valley for an industrial purpose should be reconsidered.

“This land is essential for farming and plays a vital role in positioning Canberra as a destination for food and wine,” it says.

“Instead, we should reserve industrial land in Fyshwick, Hume, or Beard.”

The association is worried that allowing industrial use of farmland will set a dangerous precedent.

“The current industrial activities have occurred for years in direct contradiction to the block’s Crown lease,” it says. “With little regard to the impact on surrounding farms and the region, it is unclear how the block will look if the DA is successful and industrial use becomes legal.”

It says a retrospective DA such as this rewards prohibited activity and ignores the normal procedures for proper community consultation before a lease variation.

“The block is detrimental to the look and feel of the Majura Valley, the Gateway to the Bush Capital, and negatively impacts neighbouring farms and the region more broadly,” the association says.

Comments on the DA close on 16 January.