The East Gippsland Shire Council has drafted a Land Use Strategy which is to be approved by the council in Feb 2023.  The strategy will apply to all privately owned rural land in East Gippsland.

In its current form, the plan intends to retain the Farming Zone Schedules 1, 3 and 4 where they currently apply.  It goes further to apply Farming Zone Schedule 1 to land currently zoned Farming Zone Schedule 2 which means minimum land size will increase in this zone from 30 to 40 hectares.

This draft plan doesn’t consider actual land use and therefore demonstrates the strategy to be ineffective in providing a basis for planning within the region.

The plan speaks to fragmentation of land having negative impacts on commercial agriculture.  The fragmentation has already occurred.  The plan needs to consider how to manage these properties in accordance to its future use, not its desired state.  We need to be able to diversify and forward-plan for the high demand of housing, the sudden growth and development of rural townships in the area.  If these properties pose no opportunity for agriculture, then our ask is to consider their value for other purposes such as additional housing for living or tourism, and prepare a more accurate plan into 2041.

The impact of not doing this, results in inaccurately forecasting land use, associated jobs with agriculture industry and loses any opportunity for the land owners and surrounding community to deliver benefit to East Gippsland through supply of housing, or supply of tourism accommodation.

We demand the rezoning of properties from Farming Zone to Rural Living Zone to accurately reflect its size and use.