A PROPOSAL for a duck farm at Howes Valley has gone on public exhibition.

The plan is for the commercial production of live duck eggs at Lot 1254, 5756 Putty Road.

The farm will house roughly 22,000 ducks on the 218 hectare site. The proposal includes 12 sheds, a cool room and machinery shed, a shaving shed, an office and amenities building and car parking for 12 vehicles.

Each of the 12 sheds have potential to house 1850 birds with a maximum capacity of 22,000 with a weekly production of 50,400 eggs.

Eggs from the farm will be transported to Pepe’s Hatcheries at Windsor.

The development application for the duck farm went on public exhibition on Wednesday and is the second time the plan has been lodged with Singleton Council.

The original plan was lodged in November 2008 and was met with resident objection.

According to Singleton Council’s senior town planner David Simon the original plan was lodged as a standard development application however was withdrawn and re-lodged because it did not meet Council’s standards.

Property developers Aconsult re-lodged the proposal on behalf of owners, RA and DE Shepherd.

Mr Simon said the application now included an Environmental Impact Statement that met with Council’s legislation requirements.

The development application and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the duck farm can be viewed at Singleton Council’s office and the Department of Planning head office during office hours.

The application went on public exhibition on Wednesday and was supposed to close on January 4, 2010, however Singleton Council has extended it by two weeks until January 18 due to the Christmas and New Year period.

Submissions regarding the development should be made to the general manager, Singleton Council, PO Box, 314, Singleton NSW, 2330 on or before 4.30pm on Monday, January 18.