By Luke Voogt
Lara goat farm objectors have raised concerns about links between the proponent and local scientists who have described disease risks to the community as “quite small”.
No Nuchev campaign member Michelle MacNaughtan queried John Stenos and Stephen Graves’ claims in last week’s Indy about the proposed farm’s Q fever risk.
In January Nuchev, the company behind the farm, received a $97,280 Federal Government grant for goat vaccines, which listed Prof Stenos and Prof Graves’ Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory as a co-recipient.
Prof Stenos last week disclosed to the Indy he had worked for Nuchev but failed to mention the grant.
“If they have a commercial relationship with Nuchev why would they think it’s appropriate to make public comment on this?” Ms MacNaughtan asked.
She said the “intensive” farm could cause a “significant outbreak“ of Q fever, which humans can contract from goats and other animals.
Acute Q fever can progress to pneumonia, while the chronic version can also kill.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year rejected Nuchev’s planned 14,000-goat farm for Moorabool due to risk management plans for the site.
The tribunal raised concerns about the site being 2km from a primary school and less than 3km from dwellings.
The tribunal considered evidence from the Netherlands, which had 4026 human cases of Q fever between 2007 and 2010, suggesting that people within 2km of affected farms were at greater risk.
The Lara proposal was about 1km from a primary school, 580m from dwellings and 400m from a playground under construction, Ms MacNaughton said.
“I’d never let my child play there.”
Nuchev wanted to profit from Chinese’s lucrative infant product market, Ms MacNaughton said.
“But it shouldn’t be at the expense of Lara children’s safety.”
Ms MacNaughton questioned Nuchev’s risk management plan for Lara, given the Moorabool decision.
“I cannot help thinking that (Q fever) could be coming into my house and into my little girl’s life,” she said.
She disputed Prof Graves’ suggestion Nuchev could provide human vaccines to Lara residents.
“Everything you read says children cannot be vaccinated,” she said.
“Why should I have my child vaccinated with something that’s unapproved for children so an inappropriate development can go ahead?”
