Tamworth Regional Council approves Fairglen Farms' development application to expand its Manilla chicken farm

Fairfax-owned agricultural company Fairglen Farms has won development approval from Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) to increase from 247,000 to 400,000 birds on site.

The $2.9 million project will bring the property's total number of sheds from five to eight, with shovels to soon hit the ground for three new sheds catering for 50,000 birds each.

The broiler chicken farm at 2797 Manilla Road, Attunga - known as Burrii - is a major supplier for Baiada Poultry, and the project is designed to fit in with Baiada's planned expansion in Tamworth.

TRC granted the farm development consent subject to a number of conditions, and deemed the project "within the public interest".

"The proposed development, subject to the recommended conditions, will not result in unacceptable adverse impacts upon the natural or built environments," the determination reads.

"All submissions received have been taken into account in the assessment report... Council has given due consideration to community views when making the decision to determine the application."

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It also deemed the expansion to be of an "appropriate scale and form for the site and the character of the locality" and consistent with the Tamworth Regional Local Environmental Plan 2010 and state environmental planning policies.

Owned by former media baron John Fairfax, the agriculture company moved into Tamworth in 2020 and put its reasons for expansion down to growing demand.

"Demand for chicken has been on the increase since the 1960's and is continuously growing," the planning documents read.

"In Australia today chicken meat is the most consumed meat of all meat products including beef and veal, pig, fish, sheep and poultry."

Fairglen Farms didn't respond to a request for comment.

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