President of Paws and Claws, Michael Kerr, said a stumbling block was the current planning scheme doesn’t cater for an indoor animal facility like the one being proposed.

“We have lodged a robust application to council,” Kerr said ahead of the meeting.

“The codes within the Planning Scheme are written with the intent that a dog kennel will be an outdoor facility with lots of chain fencing and no real noise compliance required. Hence the set backs to other sensitive businesses and residences.

“What we are proposing is an acoustically built indoor facility which has successfully been completed in many other local government areas.” 

Complaints about the new facility have already filtered back to Paws and Claws by residents of the nearby Plantation Resort and some surrounding businesses, the association confirmed.

Kerr said the planned animal home would be a ‘state-of-the-art indoor facility’ acoustically developed to ensure nearby properties would not be affected by issues such as noise and smell.

He said some of the ‘rustling of objections’ emanated from the old shelter located on the Captain Cook Highway. 

“This was a house with some open yards, there was no animal housing, no acoustic dampening or noise blockers, of course it was noisy, every time someone went past the front fence or entered the gate the dogs started barking,” Kerr said.

“Unless it is between adoption hours no one but staff will be near the kennel areas of the new facility.”

Kerr reiterated the new site had been tested by an acoustic specialist and there was solid evidence the building, in its current state, would satisfy requirement so residents would not to be impacted.

“We already plan to do further noise reductions inside the existing building,” he said.

The special meeting will take place at 2pm today at the council chambers in Mossman.

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