About 5000 free-range pigs will be farmed on site.

Council issued a permit for the proposal from Logan farmers at a council meeting on Monday night.

Councillor Karen Hyslop said the proposed piggery would create two full-time jobs.

She said there would be significant flow-on effects from the proposal, including more economic benefits.

‘‘It can only benefit the shire,’’ she said.

Councillor Tony Driscoll said the piggery would create supply for food trends.

‘‘The free-range piggery is in response to public demand. People want free-range eggs and they want free-range pork,’’ he said.

The proposed piggery will be on 615 hectares of land, 20 kilometres east of St Arnaud.

The land is currently used for cropping and grazing purposes.

One section is an existing eco-shelter piggery housing about 7200 pigs.

It has been in operation for 12 years without any recorded incidents or complaints.

The Logan farmers want to keep the existing piggery and add a free-range rotational grower piggery.

When the free-range piggery becomes fully operational, about 12,000 pigs would be farmed at a time.

The proposal states weaner pigs about six weeks old would be transported to the farm for 16 to 18 weeks until they were market weight.

Councillor Merrilee Reid said each paddock for the piggery would be 60 by 60 metres and be stocked with about 75 pigs.

She said the pigs would be rotated into different paddocks every four weeks.

Cr Reid said the pigs would be housed in shelters in the paddocks with appropriate bedding.

The land would be rehabilitated and regrown after each batch of pigs.