Citizens and local politicians unified in opposing a mega poultry farm in Sisak-Moslavina County

The construction of a complex of poultry mega farms at four locations in Sisak-Moslavina County and a slaughterhouse in the City of Sisak, was addressed by parliament's Environmental Protection Committee on Tuesday, and then by a round table organized by the opposition MOST Party.

Representing the Ukrainian investor at today’s committee meeting and subsequent roundtable was the director of Renaissance Capital Suzana Audić Vuletić, who claimed that the project is being implemented in accordance with the relevant laws: "We are doing everything in accordance with the law. So this is just the first part of the process. We started with the entrepreneurial idea, and initiated the processes. An environmental impact study is underway. The Environmental Protection Ministry will determine whether it is in accordance with environmental protection or not. If there are restrictions, the ministry will also prescribe what we need to change in the project."

However, citizens and representatives of units of local government say the project threatens citizen's health and the environment. Sisak Mayor Domagoj Orlić: "The planned undertaking is not in accordance with the valid spatial planning documentation. After assuming office in May last year, in spite of the fact that efforts to amend the spatial planning documentation had been initiated, we stopped this project because as it stands, it is not in line with the valid spatial plan and therefore cannot be issued a building permit."

Support to the local population and their political representatives came from the opposition MOST Party and party president Nikola Grmoja who noted that along with its devastating effects on the health of the local population and the negative impact on the immediate environment, the project’s impact on domestic poultry farming also needed to be taken into consideration: "The second important criteria, because the opposition of the local community is not the only one, is how this will impact poultry farming in Croatia. We have an answer from the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture that is will have a negative impact, and that they are also opposed to this project. So, it is clear that this project should not be brought to fruition."

Source: HRT