Twelve farms housing a total of 666 cows will be relocated from various parts of the island to the Siġġiewi countryside.
The planning authority has approved an outline permit to use an area of about 70,000 square metres – 29,000 on virgin land – for the government project.
Architect Chris Spiteri told the planning board that the farms had to be moved because they were located in urban or historical sites and had to come in line with EU directives.
Two farms will be able to handle 80 cows, three will have a capacity for 59 heads and seven will house 47 each.
The outline permit also includes a centralised dairy waste digester and waste conversion facility.
Close to the area in question are Id-Dar tal-Providenza, a quarry, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples and Tal-Providenza chapel.
It forms part of the former Royal Air Force military airfield and includes a concentration of airfield structures and features such as hangars, nissen huts, air raid shelters, blast walls and blast pens.
Two Nissen huts close to the farms would be dismantled and built elsewhere.
Siġġiewi mayor Karol Aquilina objected, saying the project would cause smells and a visual blight.
“The impact when standing at Is-Salib tal-Għolja will be enormous. The area will become unrecognisable,” he said.
Dr Aquilina said the council was concerned at the way the site was selected because there were alternatives where the farms could be relocated. He appealed to the board not to approve the project as “it will ruin the area”.
The site location was also a concern for the Environment Protection Directorate, which said it was “presented with a fait accompli” because another five suggested sites could not even be considered.
The site was chosen by the Resources Ministry.
The directorate noted that the relocation of 12 farms in one place was the “preferred alternative as it limits the impact on the environment and should also help to reduce pressure for similar developments on other more sensitive areas”.
All planning board members voted in favour of the permit, with the exception of Nationalist MP Ryan Callus.
Chairman Vince Cassar informed the architect that the authorities had to prepare a holistic application for the full permit.
The board accepted a suggestion by Fr Martin Sammut, director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, to set up an independent committee that would monitor the running of the farms.