Council
4 September, 2024
New permit triggers for plantations
TIMBER plantations more than 40 hectares in size will now need a permit in the Corangamite Shire.
The change was introduced as part of the Grow Corangamite: Sustaining our Agriculture Future adopted at last month’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Shire manager planning and building services Aaron Moyne said the strategy was a long-term plan for the use and development of agricultural land and industry in Corangamite.
“It sets out a framework plan, strategic and planning policy recommendations to safeguard the shire’s agricultural industry and manage competing land uses,” he said.
“It provides policy guidance to support and further develop a strong agricultural economy.
“The strategy has now been finalised, bringing together a culmination of research and analysis to address both the issues and opportunities, strengths and weaknesses facing agriculture in Corangamite.”
Public exhibition of the draft strategy was held across July and August, with six online submissions received from community members, and three formal written submission received from a community member, the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and Midway Limited.
Mr Moyne said the strategy recommended the introduction of a permit trigger of 40 hectares and greater for all new timber plantations.
“This will enable council to consider the appropriateness of a plantation again planning policy, addressing land significance and cumulative impacts of timber production, and allow for adjacent and surrounding farmland owners/community to be made aware of plans for new plantations,” he said.
“The strategy is not proposing to prohibit forestry/timber production as a land use in the shire.
“The strategy instead recommends that a maximum lot size of 40 hectares be applied to where forestry does not require a planning permit.”
Mr Moyne said adoption of the strategy would provide council with the “direction and actions to protect and support the growth of the agriculture sector” and would allow implementation to begin via a planning scheme amendment and other options.
“An agricultural study for the shire provides an opportunity for council to implement a refreshed set of planning objectives and direction for the agricultural sector, in a manner that seeks to achieve strategic objectives, and provide a long-term planning framework for change and production,” he said.
Councillors were unanimous in their support of the adopting of the strategy.
Cr Geraldine Conheady thanked those who were involved in the formation of the strategy.
“I read the submissions and appreciate the feedback we have gotten,” she said.
Cr Conheady said council was not opposed to new developments such as timber plantations, but said “we are beholden to our communities to ensure it occurs in a prudent way”.
“This document looks to the future and is aimed at the protection of strategic agricultural land,” she said.
“We have to do what we can to ensure that Corangamite land is used appropriately…
“I think this is a very strong document and I think it’s some of the best work we’ve done in council in this term.”
Coastal Ward Cr Jamie Vogels said “strengthening and sustaining our agriculture is what it’s all about”.
“To grow and prosper we need to grow Corangamite,” he said.
Cr Jo Beard said the strategy was “a motion that we’ve got your back” to the agricultural community in the shire.
“This is a shire-wide strategy,” she said.
“Even though we are taking a shire-wide strategic lens, this really did come about because of some of the impacts we’re noticing with the change of farming practice in the south.”