A series of online forums has been offered to empower NSW local councils to better address conflicts related to agricultural land use.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Paddock to Planning Forum brought together 119 council representatives to discuss both its opportunities and challenges and was delivered as a recommendation of the NSW Agriculture Commissioner’s Improving the Prospects for Agriculture and Regional Australia in the NSW Planning System 2021 report.
Event organiser and DPI Agricultural Land Use Planning Manager Tamara Prentice said the event used a series of group discussions, feedback forums, and a poll.
“The forum provided each person an opportunity to share their experiences, knowledge and outcomes around current agricultural land use,” Ms Prentice said.
“By connecting councils on this issue it enables them to learn what approaches worked and what didn’t through hearing the experiences of other Councils.”
The forums also provide the group with an opportunity to speak with agricultural experts on relevant topics, seek updates, provide input to the latest projects and consider training opportunities; and enables DPI to ensure the advice we provide to other government agencies reflects the experiences of councils at the coal face
Ms Prentice said popular topics for discussion during the forum included renewable energy, urban development and agri-tourism.
“The initial workshop was to determine what the issues are that councils want to talk about in future forums,” she said.
“The next meeting will build upon the previous one by discussing the key issues and topics they identified and looking at how best to address them in future.”
Ms Prentice said the second online meeting with Council representatives, which has been scheduled for November, is already fully subscribed, with a third forum taking place in 2023.
