The meeting with council staff and the consultant was held at the request of a number of rural producers so that specific attention could be given to agricultural and mixed farming issues.

Twenty-three rural producers including Deua River and Tilba farmers, dairy farmers, beef cattle producers and SAGE representatives and members attended the meeting at the council building.

The message they delivered to council is that small scale agriculture in Eurobodalla is commercial agriculture and no longer a niche market but a significant contributor to the local economy, and one of the few industries in the shire with the potential for significant growth.

SAGE representative Stuart Whitelaw said the meeting was very constructive and saw many of the new generation of small scale farmers meet with large scale beef and dairy operators for the first time.

“While there was not agreement on all issues there was a shared vision for the future of Eurobodalla continuing to be a 'clean and green' farming centre,” he said.

“We were pleased that council acted promptly to ensure that a further opportunity would be available for producers to talk with planning staff and the consultant about the Rural Lands Strategy and the future of agriculture and mixed farming.

“Everyone I spoke to after the producers meeting thought their point of view had been heard or addressed by the end of the two-hour session. SAGE is hoping that the conversations that were started at this productive meeting can continue.”

The main points raised by the producers were that good quality agricultural land be maintained for farming, the growth in the size of horticulture in Eurobodalla, which is significantly higher than what is recorded in ABS data, and the need for flexibility in planning provisions.

Impediments to growth such as access to water, the need for improved agricultural and transport infrastructure and the development of a local food distribution system were seen as key issues, as well as concerns about the fragmentation of rural land and how to facilitate low cost amalgamation of small titles to benefit the agricultural viability and sustainability of a property.

Finally, the producers were keen to develop a ‘clean and green’ food brand for the region.

Market gardener Fraser Bayley attended the producers’ meeting and said it was productive and positive and a good forum for actual producers in Eurobodalla to have their collective voices heard.

“There is an exciting future for agriculture in the shire from local to export markets and all in the room were keen to see that future secured,” Mr Bayley said.

Mr Bayley suggested that council conduct a more social meeting annually between producers and representatives and council staff to have a ‘check-up’ about issues surrounding agriculture and how best to avoid problems before they occur. Council says this idea will be will put in place.

In addition to last Wednesday’s producers’ meeting, Council has hosted six consultation events to discuss the draft Rural Lands Strategy since the exhibition period began on October 16. Residents can make a submission about the draft strategy until Friday, November 27. 

The Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association meanwhile says at recent public meetings called by Eurobodalla Shire Council to allow land owners to consider the draft Rural Land Strategy (RLS) attendees voted decisively to reject the proposed incorporation of a native vegetation overlay in the rural local environment plan. 

An ERA statement claims many farmers let council’s consultants know that they objected to the length of the process and the consultants’ failure to incorporate previous public comment in the strategy. Others said they resented the fact that they were being asked yet again to raise their concerns, which have been known to council’s planners for at least five years, the ERA says.

Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association spokesperson Councillor Liz Innes said, “Attendees could not have been clearer in their opposition to the use of the vegetation overlay in the proposed LEP. No one spoke in support of its use and members of the RLS committee spoke against it.”

“ While the strategy deals with the major issues raised by farmers in the past – E3 zones, smaller minimum lot  sizes, and more housing entitlements  it fails to come to grips with the fundamental issue – the least costly way for farmers to comply with legislated environmental restrictions on their private land.  Remarkably, the consultant described a policy of protection of private property rights as “controversial” and likely to offend the planning bureaucrats,” Clr Innes said.

“The ERA rejects the consultant’s argument that dropping the earlier proposed use of an E3 zone strengthens the need for a vegetation overlay as a helpful pointer to other legislated environmental restrictions. It is ironic that one reason given for this substitution is that it reduces the necessity for a higher level of map accuracy required for an environmental zone. Given the extensive legislated controls on farming operations these days,  farmers and buyers of rural land (and their advisers) need to exercise ordinary due diligence in discovering all the restrictions applying to rural land. This is best done by reference to primary legislation rather than by relying on inaccurate overlays forming part of prescriptive and rigid land use planning regulations.”

Councillor Innes continued, “And given the farmers’ opposition to the consultant’s other proposals in the draft RLS I will be pressing the RLS committee to recommend to council the removal from the LEP of all E zones and overlays, all references to biobanking, voluntary biodiversity agreements and rural landscape guidelines. I will be supporting smaller lot sizes than are proposed and further housing entitlements on rural blocks. “

 “Farmers know from long experience that guidelines and “helpful suggestions” from bureaucrats have a habit of being turned into black letter law over time. Overlays are not legally required and not used by many NSW rural councils”

Councillor Innes concluded: “The views of the public meeting attendees were so strongly and clearly expressed that they must be acted on by councillors. I call on Mayor Brown to bring the RLS process to a swift conclusion by supporting the immediate completion of the LEP in line with the community’s wishes.”