Progressive producers are applauding Lismore City Council’s decision to end compulsory restrictions on agricultural land and replace them with a voluntary code of conduct.
At its monthly meeting last week the council voted to zone all agricultural land as RU1 (farming) and that e-zones be applied on a voluntary basis.
Councillors voted 7-4 against their own staff’s recommendations that environmental e-zones be placed across 170 properties in the local government area. Mayor Isaac Smith defended his vote against a green opposition - that took to Facebook for an appeal - by saying there was no point spending $400,00 to enact restrictions that couldn’t be well managed in 65 per cent of the cases.
Kyogle voted the same way last year with restrictions lifted from agricultural land. Mayor Danielle Mulholland said there were a number of federal and state acts that already protected fragile land in the way e-zones intended such as the federal environmental protection and biodiversity act of 1999, the NSW threatened species act of ’95 and NSW fisheries management act of ’74.
“Yes I think removing council’s e-zones has lifted the burden of red tape from the farmer,” she said. “The issue at the time for us was quite contentious. we had 1400 submissions received. A lot of the trouble was with the desk top mapping of e-zones. There was no ground truthing.
“For instance before I came to council a paddock on the top of our hill was placed in an e-zone and after we questioned that its restriction was removed.”
Meanwhile NSW Farmers has welcomed Lismore City Council’s decision to remove mandatory Environmental Zones (E Zones) from land used for local food and fibre production.
NSW Farmers Executive Councillor and Alstonville dairy producer Kath Robb said farmers already undertook voluntary conservation work on their farms.
“If this decision means that mandatory e-zones will be removed from farming land, then it is a big step forward in enhancing certainty for farmers, the environment and a farmer’s ability to manage their farm business unimpeded,” Mrs Robb said.
“Farmers are the best environmentalists when it comes to looking after their land. They want to hand it onto the next generation and environmental diversity supports farm production.”
“It makes more sense to have farmers voluntarily sign up to undertake conservation work on their properties than have it imposed on them.”
NSW Farmers’ President Derek Schoen said his Association backed the removal of all e-zones on all rural land used for primary production.
“When the State Government rolled over into the standard instrument LEP, e-zones were a nasty by-product that previously were only used for national parks or public conservation works,” Mr Schoen said.
“They weren’t supposed to be used for private land especially not farming land. We’ve seen local councils along the NSW Coast apply e-zones over farmers’ land, further restricting farmers’ ability to diversify operations, control noxious weeds, manage invasive species, and construct farm infrastructure.”
“There are strict environmental and native vegetation controls already in place over rural land, which makes e-zones completely unnecessary. They infringe on property and existing use rights, and affect property values. We commend the Lismore Mayor for this sensible move, and urge other councils to follow suit.”
