Feedlot Approvals

Planning a new feedlot, expanding an existing yard or adding covered housing can involve planning, environmental and building approvals. The pathway depends on the location, capacity, existing approvals and scope of the proposed works.

The important part is understanding those requirements before the building design gets too far ahead.

Decisions around capacity, site layout, drainage and effluent management, roof-water management, earthworks, access and environmental controls can all influence the approval pathway. Working through these early gives the project team a clearer basis for developing a feedlot solution that can be approved, engineered and built.

You Don’t Need to Have the Approval Pathway Worked Out

You don’t need to know exactly which approvals, consultants or investigations your project will require before you talk to us.

Start with what you’re planning to change. Bring us your existing feedlot or site plan, current and proposed cattle capacity and the area you’re considering covering. If you don’t have all of that yet, that’s okay. We can help you work through what information is still needed and coordinate the building solution with your feedlot, civil, environmental and planning specialists as the concept develops.

Our role is to make sure the building isn’t being designed in isolation from the site, operation and approval requirements around it.

Start With the Project, Not the Building

Before detailed building design begins, establish what is changing across the feedlot.

For an existing operation, adding covered housing may affect more than the pens beneath the roof. Keeping rainfall off the covered area can change how water moves through the site, how manure is managed and how the existing drainage and effluent system performs.

For a new feedlot or larger expansion, the project may require a broader assessment of the site and proposed operation.

Some of the first questions we can work through with you include:

  • Is this a new feedlot, an expansion or a cover over existing pens?
  • What is the existing and proposed feedlot capacity?
  • What approvals are already in place?
  • How much of the yard will be covered?
  • Will the project change existing pen layouts or stocking arrangements?
  • How will clean roof water be captured or discharged?
  • Will existing drainage and effluent infrastructure need to change?
  • Are additional earthworks, roads or access required?
  • Is future expansion part of the longer-term plan?

These answers help define the scope before consultants, designers and engineers begin developing the project in detail.

Related: Covered Feedlot Design Parameters Guide

Understanding Your Approval Pathway

There is no single approval pathway for every Australian feedlot.

Requirements vary between states and can also depend on feedlot capacity, location, environmental impacts and local planning controls. An expansion or modification to an existing feedlot may also need to be assessed against the conditions of its existing approval.

For example, in NSW, feedlots above 1,000 head are designated development and require an Environmental Impact Statement as part of the development application. In Queensland, feedlots above 150 standard cattle units require an Environmental Authority alongside the relevant development approval requirements.

These thresholds provide a useful starting point, but they do not determine the complete approval pathway. Local planning controls, environmental constraints and the specifics of the proposed development still need to be considered.

For detailed guidance, the Australian Feedlot Design Manual from Meat & Livestock Australia covers site selection, site investigations, feedlot design, construction and project management.

Important: Approval requirements and thresholds can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority and suitably qualified planning or environmental consultants before progressing a project.

What Needs to Be Investigated?

Once the project scope is understood, the next step is establishing what the site can support.

For a new feedlot, this can be a substantial process. For an existing operation, much of the information may already exist, but it still needs to be checked against the proposed development and existing approval conditions.

Depending on the project, investigations may consider:

  • Site topography and proposed levels
  • Soil and geotechnical conditions
  • Flood and overland-flow risk
  • Surface water and groundwater
  • Existing drainage and effluent systems
  • Manure storage and utilisation
  • Clean roof-water management
  • Separation from sensitive receptors
  • Road and vehicle access
  • Existing services and water supply
  • Environmental and ecological constraints
  • Available space for future expansion

The National Guidelines for Beef Cattle Feedlots provide further industry guidance on establishing and operating feedlots in accordance with the National Beef Cattle Feedlot Environmental Code of Practice.

You can also read more about the environmental considerations in our Feedlot Environmental Requirements guide.

Who Needs to Be Involved?

Covered feedlot projects usually bring together several areas of specialist expertise. Exactly who is required will depend on the site, approval pathway and project scope.

The important part is getting the right disciplines involved early enough that one part of the project is not being designed in isolation from another.

Feedlot Planner and Environmental Consultants

Depending on the project, specialist feedlot planners and environmental consultants may assist with the overall feedlot layout, environmental assessment, approval requirements, separation distances, waste and effluent management and supporting documentation.

Civil Engineer

Civil engineering can cover earthworks, site levels, roads, drainage, stormwater and the interface between the building and the broader feedlot drainage system.

Surveyor and Geotechnical Specialists

Survey and geotechnical information can establish site levels, boundaries and ground conditions needed to inform civil and structural design.

TechSpan

TechSpan works with the producer and broader project team to develop the covered feedlot solution.

Our involvement can include concept development, building orientation and configuration, clear spans, column locations, roof form, ventilation considerations, structural engineering, detailing, manufacture and construction.

We can also work with the civil, feedlot planning and environmental teams to coordinate how the structure interfaces with pen layouts, drainage, clean roof-water management, access and future expansion.

Approval Authorities and Certifiers

Depending on the project and jurisdiction, councils, state authorities and building certifiers may assess different elements of the development and establish conditions that need to be addressed through design and construction.

Design and Approvals Need to Develop Together

A covered feedlot should not be designed in isolation and then handed across to the rest of the project team.

The building configuration can influence drainage, earthworks, clean-water management, pen layout, machinery access and future expansion. At the same time, civil and environmental requirements can influence where the building sits, how it is configured and how the roof-water system needs to work.

One example is roof water. In an uncovered pen, rainfall lands on the pen surface and can become part of the contaminated runoff that needs to be managed. With covered housing, roof water can potentially be kept separate as clean water, captured for reuse or directed to an appropriate discharge point.

That can be an advantage, but it needs to be designed as part of the overall site water-management strategy rather than considered after the building has been designed. Our guide to Feedlot Drainage & Effluent Management looks at these considerations in more detail.

The same principle applies to:

  • Building orientation and layout
  • Pen dimensions and stocking arrangements
  • Drainage falls
  • Column locations
  • Machinery and cleaning access
  • Ventilation
  • Manure and bedding management
  • Roads and feed alleys
  • Future stages of development

Getting these interfaces resolved during concept development can reduce redesign and give each consultant a clearer basis to work from.

For more detailed technical guidance on covered systems, MLA’s Feedlot Covered Housing Systems: Best Practice Design and Management Manual covers building configuration, stocking density, pen design, ventilation, manure management, animal health and regulatory considerations.

A Practical Feedlot Approval Pathway

1. Define the Project

Establish whether you are covering existing pens, expanding the feedlot or developing a new facility. Confirm proposed capacity, operational requirements and future expansion plans.

2. Review the Site and Existing Approvals

Understand existing approval conditions, site constraints, drainage, services, access and environmental considerations.

3. Confirm the Approval Pathway

Work with the appropriate planning and environmental specialists to identify the approvals, assessments and supporting information required for the project.

4. Develop the Concept

Bring the feedlot layout, covered housing, civil requirements and environmental considerations together so the concept responds to the site and operation.

5. Prepare and Lodge Approvals

Complete the required assessments, drawings and supporting documentation for submission to the relevant authorities.

6. Respond to Approval Conditions

Review approval conditions and incorporate relevant requirements into the detailed civil, structural and building design.

7. Engineer and Deliver

With the project requirements established, progress detailed engineering, documentation, manufacture and construction.

Where TechSpan Fits

Where TechSpan Fits

TechSpan’s role typically starts well before structural drawings.

During the Concept stage, we work with the producer and project team to understand what the covered feedlot needs to achieve. That includes the proposed layout, cattle numbers, operational requirements, site constraints and how the structure needs to interface with the wider feedlot.

During Configure, those requirements are developed into a buildable structural solution. Building dimensions, spans, column locations, roof form, ventilation, engineering requirements and interfaces with other parts of the project are worked through with the relevant consultants.

During Construct, TechSpan carries the structural package through detailing, manufacture and construction, with the project requirements and approved design providing the basis for delivery.

This is our 3C Advantage: Concept. Configure. Construct. It provides a structured pathway for taking a building from the initial requirements through design and delivery.

Before You Start: Information Worth Having Ready

If you’re considering covered housing for an existing or proposed feedlot, gathering some basic project information can make the first conversations much more productive.

Where available, it is useful to have:

  • Current and proposed cattle capacity
  • Existing site or feedlot plans
  • Existing development approvals and conditions
  • Approximate area or pens being considered for cover
  • Survey or site-level information
  • Existing drainage and effluent plans
  • Known environmental or planning constraints
  • Operational requirements for machinery and cattle movement
  • Any future expansion plans
  • Your intended project timeframe

You do not need to have every answer before speaking with the project team. The purpose of early planning is to establish what is known, what still needs to be investigated and what needs to happen next.

If you’re still determining what type of cover is appropriate, our Feedlot Shade vs Shelter guide explains the practical differences between shade, partial cover and full cover.

Planning for Future Expansion

Even if the first stage only covers part of the feedlot, it is worth considering what the operation could look like in five or ten years.

Future pens, additional covered housing, roads, feed alleys, drainage infrastructure and supporting facilities can all influence today’s building layout. Allowing for those requirements during concept planning can make later stages easier to integrate and reduce the risk of today’s infrastructure limiting tomorrow’s expansion.

This is also where early structural planning matters. Orientation, building dimensions, column locations and the way future structures connect can be considered before the first stage is locked in.

Other Resources You May Find Helpful

Ready to Start Planning Your Feedlot?

If you’re considering a new covered feedlot, expanding an existing operation or adding cover over existing pens, you don’t need to have the complete solution worked out before starting the conversation.

TechSpan can work with you and your feedlot, civil, environmental and planning specialists to develop the covered housing component alongside the broader project requirements.

Bring us your site, your operational requirements and what you’re trying to achieve. We’ll help you work through what the building needs to do and where it fits into the wider project.

Talk with our Feedlot team.

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