By Luke Voogt
About 200 protesters gathered at City Hall on Tuesday night as a No Nuchev campaign petitioned council against a planned Lara goat farm.
Group leader Bronwen Baker vowed to continue campaigning until the permit for the 4500-goat farm was overturned.
“We won’t stop until VCAT cancels this 10-storey goat factory,” the Animal Justice Party member said.
The protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall, occasionally chanting “no to Nuchev” before formally presenting their 2400-strong petition to council inside.
The campaigners took up the majority of question time, querying the consultation of Lara residents prior to Geelong’s administrators issuing a permit for the farm in 2016.
Leanne Rupene cried as she shared her fear that Q fever could be fatal to her children – especially one with a heart condition.
“I have a one-year-old with a hole in his heart,” the tearful mother said.
“I want to know how you can 100 per cent guarantee our children will be safe from Q fever.”
Q fever can cause flu-like symptoms, and sometimes pneumonia and chronic fever in humans.
But one protester argued the disease could be fatal to the elderly, vulnerable and children, and said children could not be vaccinated.
The Federal Department of Health recommends against vaccinating children under 15 against Q fever because there is no safety data on the vaccine for that age group.
Other protesters questioned the proposed farm’s proximity to nearby dwellings.
Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood acknowledged the “large and passionate crowd” but said council was unable to form a position without receiving further advice.
“I have put the directors on notice for the information we need.”
Windermere Ward councillor and Lara resident Kylie Grzybek said she had heard the campaigners “loud and clear” after receiving about 250 emails leading up to the meeting.
“This has been the biggest gathering in Lara community we can remember,” she said.
“I promise to make you voice heard.”
The crowd was mostly respectful, until Animal Justice Party member Andy Meddick asked which “higher authority“ council would seek advice from, stating the residents had a right to know.
Cr Harwood reiterated that council was unable to provide information at this point, to the jeers and boos of the crowd.
“That’s all the information we are going to provide tonight,” City Hall chief executive officer Kelvin Spiller added bluntly.
The number of campaigners was so great council security turned some away at the door due to fire safety precautions, according to Ms Baker.
Council will respond to the petition at an ordinary meeting on 27 March.
“We’ll be there to hold them to their word,” Ms Baker said.
“I was proud of Lara – they did well that night.”
The company behind the proposal, Nuchev, said it applied strict monitoring to its herd and stringent management plans for Q fever.
Nuchev stated the farm posed no greater risk to Lara residents than Q fever occurring naturally in the local environment.
“Our regular testing regime has never found any incidence of Q Fever in our goat herd,” a statement on the company’s website reads.
