East Gippsland Shire Council has voted to adopt a Rural Land Use Strategy at its Council Meeting held on Tuesday25 July 2023. The adoption marks a significant milestone in Council’s efforts to support East Gippsland’s farming communities and protect our agricultural land for future generations.
The strategy comes after significant public consultation and a review of the draft strategy after it was first considered at a Council meeting in early June and then deferred for one month.
Mayor Cr Mark Reeves emphasised the pivotal role farming plays in sustaining the local economy and character of East Gippsland and the need to preserve agricultural land for the future.
“The strategy will provide significant benefits. It addresses land fragmentation while recognising the need for rural homes to support agricultural activities. Under the strategy, the Rural Activity Zone will now offer a tailored approach for agritourism, nature-based tourism, and smaller scale farming,” Cr Reeves said.
“Overall, the strategy provides a balanced approach to land use, safeguarding agriculture and supporting sustainable growth.”
Cr Reeves acknowledged that many people provided a wide variety of input and views on the Rural Land Use Strategy, which were formative for councillors making their decision.
The strategy aims to create a planning framework that supports agriculture, rural industries and nature-based tourism, with the primary goal being to ensure that land subdivision and development in East Gippsland’s rural areas protect and secure farming land.
The strategy proposes that the planning scheme be amended to require a planning permit for dwellings on properties less than 80 hectares in a Farming Zone (FZ1). The strategy outlines various situations where a permit for a house on a property of less than 80Ha, situated in a farming zone, may be granted. These include circumstances where a dwelling on a small lot near smaller settlements may be approved to support the future viability of those settlements.
“The Rural Land Use Strategy allows for the construction of dwellings in a farming zone if that house isrequired to support agricultural activity,” Cr Reeves said.
“Additionally, land-use rules for properties of 40Ha or less remain unchanged.”
The adopted strategy will not take legal effect until it is incorporated into the East Gippsland Planning Scheme. This process will involve formal exhibition of proposed changes to the scheme, allowing affected individuals and stakeholders the opportunity to make further submissions. Submissions are then likely to be considered by an independent planning panel appointed by the Minister for Planning before final recommendations are presented to the Council and the Minister for Planning fora final decision.
