A poultry farm located at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast is planning to add more sheds to comply with RSPCA guidelines.

Woodlands Enterprises Pty Ltd has submitted an application to the Sunshine Coast Council to add eight more chicken sheds to its 46-hectare farm at 11 Murphys Road, Beerburrum, increasing the total number of sheds to 17.

This follows Woodlands' response last month to requests for more information from the council and the State Assessment and Referral Agency regarding concerns about odour and setbacks to wetlands and neighbouring properties.

A town planning report filed in July 2023 by Plan A Town Planning Pty Ltd on behalf of Woodlands outlines the need to expand the facility.

'Due to RSPCA density standard changes, the applicant seeks to construct additional sheds on site to accommodate the original approved number of birds in response to the reduced industry standards,' the report states.

The report also mentions that the extension aims to accommodate the approved bird capacity of 45,264 per shed, totaling 769,488 birds across the farm.

'The proposed sheds have been purposefully designed and located to integrate with the existing development and minimize the potential for any adverse impacts on surrounding land or properties,' it states.

'The sheds are of a similar scale to those that lawfully exist on site and are within proximity of the existing development footprint as much as reasonably possible to minimize any clearing.

'Plan A principal town planner Emily Hutchinson said bird numbers on the farm are determined by RSPCA rules.

'The stocking density of birds is governed by the RSPCA guidelines, which Woodlands must adhere to.

We note these stocking densities can change from time to time,' she said.

'In order to maintain bird numbers, additional sheds may be required on existing Woodlands farms to meet demand.

' The poultry farm grows chickens for major national retailers.

The site was purchased in 1988 and Woodlands has operated the site for 36 years.

The Woodlands website says the business has been present on the Sunshine Coast for more than 100 years, initially growing strawberries and pineapples at Beerwah.

It later branched into poultry farming, which is now the main focus of the business.