Cannabis grower given six months to reduce noise for neighbours

Neighbours of a medicinal cannabis farm in St Lawrence are a step closer to having noise and odour issues resolved.

Northern Leaf  - cultivators of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis - has been given six months to remove unauthorised equipment, including large chillers, after a planning inspector ruled people living nearby had been 'unreasonably affected' by the sounds and smell from Retreat Farm.

It follows years of development at the site - most recently walls and chillers which did not have planning permission.

That led to an enforcement notice being issued demanding the unpermitted development be removed within two months.

The company appealed, and the action was put on hold.

Following a public hearing, an independent planning inspector recommended the appeal be dismissed, judging that the here had been a breach of planning law and that the amenities of nearby residents were being 'unreasonably affected'.

Environment Minister Steve Luce has acted on that advice, and given Northern Leaf six months to comply.         

“The inspector’s report and findings are very thorough, fair and well-reasoned. I have, therefore, decided to give full effect to the inspector’s recommendations in dismissing the appeal, save for an extended period of compliance.”      

Explaining why he has given the firm more time, Deputy Luce told us:  

"I know the residents may be upset as they feel that this appeal has failed, and I should be acting immediately to remove the noise,  but I think to be fair to Northern Leaf, they employ a large number of people on the site and they should have the opportunity to have the right amount of time to rectify the situation."

Environment Minister Deputy Steve Luce

An immediate stop notice could have impacted the business' medicinal cannabis production,  and Deputy Luce says he did not want to 'go down that road'.

Since lodging the appeal, the company also submitted a planning application to address the issues raised.  The inspector found it not to satisfactorily remedy the situation.  

Deputy Luce says he had asked his officers to 'look into this issue'.

NorthernLeaf has told Channel 103 it plans on working with the government to explore its options and it is confident it can reach compliancy in the timeframe given.