Agricultural guidance

Please help us improve this webpage by completing our short survey.

Victoria’s agricultural sector produces $13.16 billion of agricultural product from 12 million hectares, making it a vital contributor to economic growth, and social and economic wellbeing across Victoria. When farming operations are sustainably managed, they can help preserve and restore critical habitats, protect watersheds, and improve soil health and water quality. But when practiced without care, the sector also has the potential for a range of environmental threats and impacts.

EPA Victoria has information and advice that can help you manage your farm to minimise harm to the environment. This page provides farmers and others in the agricultural sector with information about how you could manage the impacts from your agricultural operations.

EPA officer visits farm

The information provided here is for information only. It may not always be relevant to your farm and does not cover all impacts from your operation. You should continue to seek advice and information from other sources such as your agro-consultant, local council, local Catchment Management Authority, and Agriculture Victoria. It does not constitute legal advice and you should seek your own legal advice.

Livestock planning + Expand all Collapse all

Help me understand the odour risk assessment I need for establishing or expanding my broiler farm.
If you are planning on establishing or expanding a broiler farm, it’s important to manage the potential risk of odour, which can generate community concerns and complaints.

If your broiler farm requires a planning permit for a Special Class Broiler Farms and Farm Clusters, as defined in section 5 of the Victorian Code for Broiler Farms 2009, you will need to engage an odour modeller as part of your planning permit application. To help your modeller understand how to conduct odour environmental risk assessments refer to the following guideline.
Help me understand recommended separation distances between sensitive receivers (such as residential houses, hospitals, or surface water bodies) and my farming activities
The Recommended Separation Distances for Industrial Residual Air Emissions Guidelines advice on recommended separation distances between sensitive receivers and agricultural activities which emit odour or have sensitive land uses.

The distances outlined in Table 1 can provide helpful information for all farmers.

If you are irrigating, Section 7.1.2 (pg. 40) of the Guidelines for Environmental Management: Use of reclaimed water may also provide relevant information, with suggested buffer distances to surface waters.
Help me understand what EPA approvals I need if my farm has more than 5,000 head of livestock.
If you have or plan to have more than 5,000 head of livestock within an intensive livestock operation (excluding broiler farms), a works approval is required from EPA Victoria.

A works approval may be required for developing new saleyards, piggeries, feedlots or animal holding depots with a capacity of more than 5,000 livestock, and/or expanding existing holdings under the Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises) Regulations 2017. For further information about works approvals refer to the works approval guidelines (EPA publication 1658).

If you plan to have more than 5,000 pigs, or are expanding or modifying a piggery with more than 5,000 pigs, the Works approval for piggeries guideline (EPA publication 1686) will provide you with more specific information about applying for the works approval.

Wastes + Expand all Collapse all

How do I manage the solid wastes (e.g. bedding materials, manure, or silage wrap) from my farm?
Farmers, along with all Victorians, have obligations under legislation to prevent their wastes from having negative impacts on the environment. The following information may provide you with good waste management practices:

What to do with farm wastes (publication 1049)
What to do with farm wastes (poster)

Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Farm Waste Management
How do I manage the effluent from my farm?
If your farm produces effluent it may impact ground and surface water by altering the amount of nutrients and other potential contaminants. The following tools and guidelines can help you to understand your potential risks and how to best manage them:

Dairy farms and water webpage

Section 7.1.4 of EPA publication 464 for winter storage requirements and winter storage calculation

Guidelines for Environmental Management: Biosolids land application
How do I dispose of dead stock?
Dead stock left in paddocks can be a disease risk and could contaminate land and water, as well as creating odours. Dead stock should be sent to the knackery or rendering plant for reuse or to an appropriately licensed landfill for disposal.

If this is not possible, limited numbers of dead stock can be buried on a farm, aligning with the practices outlined in the Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Farm Waste Management

The dead stock from intensive animal industries such as piggeries, feedlots and broiler or egg farms must not be buried on a farm without EPA approval.
How do I dispose of old batteries
Lead contamination/poisoning is a risk if livestock have access to old batteries. Used batteries should be stored undercover in a spill tray, then taken to metal recycling collection depots or sales outlets. The Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Farm Waste Management can provide more information.
How do I design, construct and manage composting facilities on my property?
If you are undertaking composting (thermophilic aerobic) on your farm this guidance will provide you advice on how to design, construct and manage composting facilities in a manner that protects human health and the environment in Victoria.
How can I use and manage waste tyres on my property?
It is important that tyres are stored in a way that reduces the potential for fires. To help you understand your obligations and how to manage excess tyres have a look at this brochure - Using waste tyres on farms and other private property
How do I dispose of excess/unwanted farm chemicals and chemical containers?
Correctly disposing of chemicals and chemical containers reduces the risk of exposure for the people and animals who live and work on your farms. Managing chemicals and chemical containers prevents spills and leaks, avoiding the potential for contaminated soil and groundwater.

Excess or unwanted chemicals can be disposed of via the ChemClear program. For correct disposal, the chemicals need to be registered, then taken to a scheduled collection point for safe removal. See ChemClear for further details on registration and collection events: http://www.chemclear.org.au/

Cleaned agvet chemical containers of up to 205 litres with the DrumMuster logo can be recycled at a DrumMuster collection site. See DrumMuster’s website for information on rinsing standards, eligible containers, and collections sites: http://www.drummuster.org.au/

Chemicals + Expand all Collapse all

How should I manage wastes from machinery maintenance or store large quantities of oil or fuel on my property?
Diesel, petrol, grease, oil, detergent, paint, thinners, metals and litter are all potential pollutants of the environment. The Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Motor Vehicle Repair and Service Premises and the Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Farm Waste Management may provide helpful advice on how to manage these on your farm .
How should I manage and store chemicals and/or chemical wastes on my farm?
The chemicals used on your farm, such as fungicides and insecticides, can be a significant source of pollution for the environment and your health. For advice on reducing this pollution risk have a look at these:

Improving storage
Liquid storage and handling guidelines (publication 1698)

Advice for managing your chemical drums and other wastes can be found in the Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines: Farm Waste Management (publication IWRG641).

Noise + Expand all Collapse all

How can I reduce noise levels from my farm?
It is important to you and your neighbour’s health to manage noise from your farm. Noise levels from certain noise sources, such as generators, on your farm may need to be limited, and the following guideline may to help you understand these limits and explanatory notes.

These will not apply to noise from mobile farm machinery or from livestock on a farm or in a saleyard.

For managing noise from frost fans, please see the guideline on noise from frost fans.

Water + Expand all Collapse all

What do I need to consider when reusing water?
Reusing water can play an important part in reducing the demand on your farm's precious drinking or potable water supplies. With appropriate management, which may include treatment, waste water can be used for a wide range of purposes including both plant uses (e.g. cooling, material washing) or non-plant uses (e.g. irrigation, toilet flushing).

To reuse waste water in a safe and sustainable way it is important to identify, assess and appropriately manage the risks. These Guidelines describe the necessary risk assessment and risk management process, as well as the EPA approval process for reusing industrial water:
Industrial water reuse

The Code of practice for small wastewater treatment plants have been developed to facilitate the design of small wastewater treatment systems which serve less than 500 people.

Sediment and dust control + Expand all Collapse all

What should I consider when creating dams, basins, or holding ponds on my property?
If you are thinking about creating dams and basins on your property it is important to plan how you’ll prevent the risks of erosion or sediment pollution to waterways. Section 14 of Construction techniques for sediment pollution control guideline can help you with this.

New EPA guidelines for sediment and erosion control will be released shortly and available from this page.
How can I manage potential dust on my property?
It is important to manage your dust to prevent pollution of waterways and adjoining properties. Dust control can improve working conditions, reduce vehicle maintenance needs and reduce the chance of neighbour complaints. Many techniques to control soil erosion by water can also prevent wind erosion. Section 11 of Construction techniques for sediment pollution control guideline can help you with this.

New EPA guidelines for sediment and erosion control will be released shortly and available from this page.
How can I manage sediment and erosion from roads/tracks on my property?
It is important to put the right controls in place for managing sediment and dust from eroding access tracks and areas disturbed by equipment. Section 17 of Construction techniques for sediment pollution control guideline can help you with this.

New EPA guidelines for sediment and erosion control will be released shortly and available from this page.
How can I manage sediment and erosion from earthworks on my property?
If you are thinking about undertaking earthworks on your property it is important to plan how you will prevent the risks of erosion or sediment pollution to waterways.

This page will provide a risk-based approach to preventing and minimising impacts from erosion and sedimentation.

State Government of Victoria

Environment Protection Authority

Business, industry and planning guidance