To Residents and friends of Bruhn Lane, Granite Belt Way and Amiens Road, Thulimbah

Re: Concerns regarding the construction of Poly Tunnels at 3364 Amiens Road, (Strawberry Farm).

 

You may have noticed the framework that has appeared at the above address over the last few weeks along with the noise.  If so, you might like to know that there are quite a few of us who live either on Bruhn Lane or close by, who have grave concerns about this project, those being:

 

1.    Safety Issues

A recipe for disaster; high wind area esp from the West; tonnes of metal, just poked into the ground, and covered in plastic, like giant umbrellas, creating flying missiles, which could literally spear into the side of my house and others in the street.

The plastic covering the tunnels would also be a fire hazard.

 

2.    Devaluation of adjacent properties

The project is an eyesore which will drive our property values down, and can be seen from Granite Belt Way. Bordering residents should have been consulted.

 

3.    Noise 

Plastic flapping in the wind, lack of maintenance already proven by the first stage of completed poly tunnels at the rear of ARS.  Continuous flapping of plastic in winds from any direction, day and night.

 

4.    Mental health

Worry of Westerly winds -  the framework for the poly tunnels has been erected about 10 metres off our boundary; our homes sometimes being less than 30 metres from them.

A few of us have been conferring with Chris Lee from SDRC regarding this matter and while he has been doing his best to have our concerns recognised by his seniors, he is retiring from the Dept. of Environment this month.  He has advised us that without Council approval, the poly tunnels must be set much further away from residential property - eg. 200 metres, which we think would be satisfactory.  However, Chris says that an exemption may be granted to the farm, allowing the tunnels to remain where they are.

Rather than wait for an outcome from council, which may or may not satisfy our anxiety, we have already arranged to meet with James Lister MP on Friday June 17, to point out our problems, in the hope that he can apply some urgency to our case to Council.

If Council can’t or won’t help do anything about this situation, then we will be looking at other avenues for a remedy.  After all, why should the rules only apply to some?

Obviously, the more people willing to support this endeavor the better chance we have to succeed.  Just signing the Petition page (over) and providing your address will help us to persuade the powers that be, if and when, the time comes that we need more numbers to apply more pressure.  Otherwise, your details will be NOT be used in any way.