The future of farming: When housing and farms collide

A Victorian council’s draft rural strategy has raised concerns for the future of farming and food security in the region. These are the changes that could come in to play.

Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance president Tammi Jonas.

Central Victorian producers have voiced concerns for the future of agriculture in the region, in the wake of a draft council strategy that could rezone arable land for residential growth.

The Hepburn Shire’s draft Daylesford and Hepburn Springs Structure Plan proposes a number of changes that could affect farmland in the region.

Some of the proposed changes include:

Requirement of a planning permit for a dwelling on a farming zone lot below 80ha;

A proposed new rural activity zone (mixed farming and tourism) north and south of Daylesford with a 40ha minimum subdivision size;

Proposed new rural residential zones at Creswick and Clunes; and

Potential rural activity zones at Eganstown, Creswick and Clunes with a minimum 40ha subdivision size.

Fourth-generation producer Ned Powell’s family has a farmed a 14ha mixed sheep and cropping property near East Street in Daylesford since the 1920s.

But his family’s farm could be affected by a proposal for “further residential development” within the Daylesford town boundary could see neighbouring land parcels presently zoned for farming, rezoned as Neighbouring Residential.

He said one paddock to the north of the property would be rezoned as industrial, with land at the south of the property rezoned as residential: “That’s a significant proportion of our entire farm.”

He said while his family won’t step away from the farm, they were concerned for the financial viability of the property due to rates, land tax, and windfall gains taxes if part of the land was rezoned.

“We have no interest in selling the land, we’re proud of the fact we’ve farmed here for the past 100 years,” Mr Powell said.

Mr Powell said his family farm was identified in the council’s own documents as an active, productive farm on “very good farmland”.

“This land around Daylesford is a really important future food bowl for Victoria. Of course people need housing. But they also need food.”

Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance president and Daylesford pig producer Tammi Jonas said the proposed strategy would have an “immediate impact” on the region’s agricultural community, with potential rezoning of agricultural land beyond the Daylesford town boundary opening land up for inappropriate development.

“We’ve seen this with Melbourne and Sydney every time you shift the urban boundary,” Ms Jonas said. “We’ve lost most of the good growing land in Koo Wee Rup and Werribee.”

Pig farmer and Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance president Tammi Jonas said while the council strategy went part way to protecting farming, more work was needed.

Hepburn Shire mayor Brian Hood said while the strategy was still a draft, council would continue to listen to feedback from community while working to balance town growth with preservation of farmland.

He said the rural strategy would work in conjunction with the five town structure plans, aimed at working “hand in glove” to prevent urban sprawl into productive land.

Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Brian Hood said the main focus of the strategy was to protect the agricultural industry and existing farmland. Photo: Hepburn Shire Council

“The major thrust of the rural strategy is to protect our agricultural industry and farmland. And council understands we’re in a part of Victoria with very rich soils … we must protect it.”