If you had to start again..................

monya

I would have made the site perfectly level, thus not having to flip around with different growbed heights to compensate for up and down dirt. (all beds flood thru a joined pipe so if one bed sits 1 cm higher the water floods 1 cm lower in that bed. Time factor killed us there. Only other thing is hurrying up and getting the shed built around the tank and sump for some temp control.

Nocky

Rupe I love a fight, especially with local councils, all of the words you used to describe them are true australia wide, I could probably teach you a few I have used, best solution is to go above them and directly to your MP, as the F%$# wits in council have no capacity to think laterally, I have found that our MP will help with any local issues, and you may find your MP would have great pleasure standing on councils toes

eame0002

I'd lash out and buy a commercial style fish tank and some fiberglass grow beds, and build a large shade house for the lot. Probably be cheaper in the end than redesigning my system every so often!

bio-farmer

Hey rupe,

most rules and regulations are designed simply to give someone a reason to have a kushy gov job. without people asking what they can and can not do they would cease to exist. obviously i'm peaching to the choir here. just because its against regulation doesn't mean its wrong. i guess what we all need to weigh up is the risk we are willing to take in a given circumstance. in your circumstance you probably did the right thing given your commercial aspirations. its just sad that gov regulation is almost the cause of a lot of problems. if instead you were offered a grant to make this more feasible, we would all be better off. the food crisis needs to be addressed soon or we're all *frack*. its as if they want us to either break legislation or suffer.

in my suburb we can't even get recycling bins. i sent in an application over a year ago and it was supposed to have arrived. the only way i can see a council member coming out is if i am dobbed in. even then i doubt it. that would involve work. much easier to let people "dob" themselves in and just say no. its the way the world operates and is bs.

say you did get dobbed in and a council member came out, what would the penalty be? it would be interesting to take it to court to see the outcome. how could they make you dismantle the setup? would you have to kill the fish and plants? this seams preposterous. you can't sell them as thats against fisheries act.

nuff said.

RupertofOZ wrote:

I have

.....

Made the mistake of being too honest..... planned to maybe try and make a few dollars out of the proposed mega system....

Thought I'd better make sure the neighbours and council were onside as I was planning to put up about six hydro tables.... starting next week....

Got the neighbours to sign off on the idea (literally).... and approached council six weeks ago...

Sort all the info.... point was raised as to whether the proposal constituted a "home-based" business or a "cottage industry".... the latter requires a DA process and fees... the former doesn't....

Was told to download the LEP and if I thought it was within regs to submit a written application for approval.....

Haven't got the formal advisement back as yet... but a meeting on Friday was a "no way".....

Reasons....

(1) Business has to take place within the dwelling, adjoining structures and curtliage....
.... only tools of trade can be stored in any other area....

(2) There must be provision for two car parking spaces behind the [b] building line[/]... that's the line from the front wall of the house.... not the property line..

Apparantly the hydro trays don't constitue "tools of trade".... and as the fish tank was proposed to be in the garage.... and the hydro trays along the fence to take advantage of the solar track.....

I don't have two car parking spaces... behind the building line...... :sad:

Should have just bloody shut up and done it ... shouldn't I....

That's one thing I would change.... if I had to start again....

Chappo

YOU DON'T have a recycling bin??? WTF.

I'll let uncle Kevin know about this!!!!

RupertofOZ

Bio-farmer wrote:

in your circumstance you probably did the right thing given your commercial aspirations.

Wasn't so much the "commercial aspirations" that led me to front the council for "approval"......

The concept is small scale in "commercial" terms....

Was more the fact that.... the tables would be in full view of neighbours and passersby.... and I rent....

Rationale was that if "approved" by the neighbours... and council.... that anyone else that raised the matter... maliciously or otherwise... would be shut up in quick fashion...

Also thought that if the matter got raised to the landlady... or she visited... then the first thing she would no doubt ask was.... "hat would/did council say about it?"

Figured on running it past her anyway... kind of fait accompli.... ala... council has no objections, neighbours have no objections... she'd already seen the small system and seemed quite impressed with the concept....

Biggest worry was more the do-badders, nosey parkers, and general drop kicks that seem to have inhabited the town lately...

bio-farmer

my area has its pro's and cons. its nestoriusly *frack* up. one that slipped through the gaps. there is an intersection which over 10 people have died at. they still wont put traffic lights up. ironically they are putting all this money into speeding camera's yet wont give us traffic lights. so much for road safety. sorry for going off track.

RupertofOZ

And as I said.... a further meeting resulted in tacit approval for a "single" table to provide food for personal consumption... with the suggestion that two tables may... may... be alright... but probably pushing it.

I've asked for written authorisation to establish one hydroponic table..... just that now it will be a "standard" 12mtr hydro table.... rather than two 6mtr ones.... and a bit wider... :wink:

bio-farmer

i hear what your saying rupe. renting is a whole other kettle of fish. i'm in the privileged position that i rent off my parents. if the landlord wasn't family i would think twice.

TCLynx

Our organization is a little different here but I know there are neighborhoods "sub devisions with covenants and Home Owner's Associations" around here that don't allow a veggie patch at all! "I think my god isn't growing one's own food like a god given right or something and now the HOA is saying no, you must have only grass and mow it to exactly 7.5 cm twice a week and cover it with pesticide and fertilizer so it is exactly the same shad of green as all your neighbors since all the houses must look alike and no person shale be seen outside their house of vehicle for more than 2 minutes." Of course that is my jaded view of the modern suburb. I made a point of buying where there are no restrictions in place by the HOA and I only need to deal with the county code enforcement. (Code enforcement usually only shows up if some one calls and complains to them about some one.)

So far all the neighbors seem to think my gardens are "cool" and the ones that know about the fish think that is neat too. I just have to hope any neighbors that notice the hens are interested in fresh home grown eggs instead of complaining to code enforcement since I think the rule for residential household pets is that they must live inside the house.

As to the AP system, next time, I'll reserve the shells for a single bed/filter that I can adjust the amount of shells/buffering in the system as needed. Seems that cucumbers really don't want to grow well with such a high pH as I have at 7.6.

bio-farmer

TCLynx wrote:

So far all the neighbors seem to think my gardens are "cool" and the ones that know about the fish think that is neat too. I just have to hope any neighbors that notice the hens are interested in fresh home grown eggs instead of complaining

that really is the point you need to get across to the neighbors. its in their interest to have you doing what your doing.

TCLynx

Yep, the Hispanic neighbors all seem to think growing one's own food is good and proper. I just need to keep an eye on the old lady next door and the more "normal" suburban type neighbors that are all still caught up in the rat-race and think farm activity some how endangers their material investments.

Not too worried since this is not the ritzy block of the neighborhood and with the gas prices getting so high taking food prices along with them, more people will probably see the value of growing their own food.

Chappo

Sorry but I disagree,,,what happens on YOUR side of the fence , WITHIN your property,has SFA to do with the neighbours.
I agree keeping happy but at arms-length ,neighbours is ideal,,,but if your doing nothing wrong then "up" them.

A Mans' home is his Castle. FULL STOP.

RupertofOZ

Must depend on which shire/council you live in Chappo.... my recent experience would seem to suggest that just isn't the case.... except perhaps in "old" movies....

As an exercise Chappo.... get hold of your local council LEP... and see if what you intend to do fits within the definitions and regulations.... :wink:

steve

mow it to exactly 7.5 cm

i would have thought that "over the hedge" was making funny with the contro-freak-lady............now thanks to you i know it was actually based on fact :shock:

Mmmmmmmm best i stay here where there is tight gun control..................

Backyard Aquaponics A place to discuss aquaponics

If you had to start again..................

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics