Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Good one :-).

One day those planets might align for me too

Rupe,,,big silly getting council involved in ANYTHING (but you are in a different situation than me),,,but super glad this happened along for you,,,about time you caught a break.
I've got a good source for 3 phase pumps at around $80 , when your ready.

Smiling for ya Rupe.

Sounding/looking really exciting but I won't congratulate you yet as I'm sure the details are not all pinned down (and we know where the devil is.) Good luck with the next phases though!!!!!!!!!

Great work Rope...have a setback, then move on to the next chapter...best way to handle these sort of situations

Wow, how fortuitous Rupe, you never know till you ask, huh? A closed mouth can't eat. lol

Be careful of improvements you make to his land. The rules here are, "Screwed, or Glued & it stays. I hope you're looking to lease with a contract. You may have just fostered a life long friendship.

You are a "Good Karma" kinda dude Rupe; Glad to see some of it coming your way. WooHoo for you bro!

Humm... thanks Don... but seems the planets can slip out of alignment as quickly as the slip in....

Been trying to get hold of Frank since I saw him as he was going to double check with his son if it was OK to use the tables.... left several messages on his home phone and mobile...

Rang me tonight... he's up in Sydney with his son... apparantly his son is in the middle of a marital breakdown and was essentially evicted from his home over the weekend...

Seems he's going to be coming back down here with Frank.... and as he wont be working in his wifes business anymore... might be looking to try and do something with them himself...

Ask Frank to pass my number on to him... and suggest that maybe we could chat with the view to working something out together....

Bad time to go pushing too hard though... so it's a bit of a wait and see proposition at the moment.... until I have a chance to try and sell the idea to his son anyway...

Bugger.... wanted to go up there this week and start cleaning up....

Patience... they say.....

Hey Rupe,
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I joind a bit late. Is it because you want to sell what you grow? I love the 8000Ltr tank, if your going to do it, may as well be big time. Personally the whole council thing sucks. What is the reason behind those laws? Cant think they are there for the people hey, specially since you got the "tick" off of your neighbours. It is not about the zoning of the land as well is it? Totolly stupid... man!

Well .... partly....

Main restriction voiced related to the "two car parking spaces".... which the fish tank in garage and placement of the hydro trays would have negated....

The secondary objection related to a classification of "intensive horticulture" and "intensive aquaculture"....

The latter being defined as "any activity requiring the supplementary feeding of fish or crustaceans, whether or not this is as an adjunct to any natural feed consumed".....

And the concept that this was primarily designed for the purpose of ultimate sale.... i.e a business....

The actual "formal" notification reads....



No other reasons stated...

Personally I would have thought that any home based business was a "commercial" use....

Anyway.... I was told that it was not councils intention to prohibit anyone from growing food for their personal use.... and that if I wished to keep fish or grow hydroponic vegetables for my own consumption, that council would have no objection to that.

I have on two occassions sort clarification on the matter and have had it confirmed that is the case and that they have no objection to my erecting a "standard" hydroponics table ..... and that's what I'll do .... a standard hydroponics table is 12mtr long and either 8 or 10 trays wide ...

Wont give me enough holes to make it a viable "business".... but it means my mega AP system will be able to proceed....

The rest I'll just have to setup on someones land.... and talks are ongoing in that regard... eventually I'll move virtually everything from home anyway.... as I always intended to do... leaving just a (smallish ) home system....

Always intended to... just didn't have the option of land available... and needed to generate some extra income.....

Mainly to pay for all the stuff I've bought over the last two years and the plumbing etc to put it altogether....

The good news is, after 2 1/2 hours of going through the LEP, EPA Act and the Fisheries Management Act..... other than the need for a DA approval.... due to the definitions of "intensive aquaculture"........

Their is nothing to prevent me from proceeding from any land zoned "Rural" as long as it has the owners consent....

No requirement for an EIS or Fisheries Licensing.... .... well as yet anyway...

Main restrictions would come from needing permits to dump nutrient laden water into rivers etc, not really a problem for us

so my aquariums would be considered intensive aquaculture then?

Yep.... but as long as they're for your own personal consumption.....

They then fall back to the "for sale" definitions and what level consitutes a "hobby" and a business... i.e what's the primary "intent".....

I suppose your screwed rupe as the council spies will now watch the your every move, have you tried the green, saving the planet move on your local MP yet?

Been done Nocky

And the council has a newly appointed "environmetal innovations development officier"....

Also personally know both the Mayor and several other heads of departments in the council....

Had to dot the "I's" and cross the "T's".... so that everyone can cover their behinds on the "legalities"...

well good luck, maybe start save the whale in gerringong campain as well to get up a few brownie points

Councils and in particular town planning departments are being extremly cautious at the moment...

ICAC enquiries... developer backhanders... three councils in the hands of "administrators" and another slated as "on notice".... and Frank Sator the State Minister removing many of the council powers and with an absolute right of veto of any and every development application...

Makes for very nervous people..... and the town planners get paid crumbs anyway ...