2016-06-07 - P&E Agenda - Item 5, Attachment 1 - Agriculture and Agricultural Land Study

Planning Guidelines: Separating Agricultural and Residential Land Uses
In 1997 the State released Planning Guidelines for separating Agricultural and Residential Land
Uses. This document provided technical advice and guidance to local governments, developers
and others on minimising conflicts and particularly on designing appropriate buffers to be
incorporated into developments. It was intended that to comply with the guideline planning scheme
provisions should minimise instances of incompatible uses locating adjacent to agricultural
operations in a manner that inhibits normal farming practice. This guideline is still referenced in the
Noosa Plan to date.


1997 Strategic Plan
The mid 1990s planning studies prepared in conjunction with and to support the 1997 Strategic
Plan, mapped potential areas for conservation of good quality agricultural land.

The Strategic Plan included a mapping layer for Agricultural Land Conservation Area (ALCA) which
indicated land which has been strategically assessed as having significant agricultural values and
which has low environmental significance. At the strategic scale, the land has few or minor
constraints to agriculture.

The Strategic Plan included the following Strategic Aims for Agriculture:

Character, Lifestyle & Environment Role
Agriculture is an important part of the rural heritage of the Shire and an integral contributor to the
character of the Shire’s hinterland. The retention of agricultural activities, particularly in those areas
where farming activities have been the traditional use and where environmental impacts may be
successfully managed will assist the agricultural sector’s role in defining the character of the Shire.

Factors such as poor land management, poor management of fertiliser applications and
inappropriate land clearing associated with agriculture have the potential to cause environmental
harm through erosion, loss of significant habitat, visual scarring of significant landscapes or
unacceptable impacts on downstream land or on surface and groundwaters. The potential
environmental impacts of rural activities should be significant factors in determining land’s
suitability for agricultural use, with the goal of ensuring the sustainable use of the Shire’s
agricultural resources.

In lifestyle terms, agriculture is also a significant contributor, with part time, small scale though
often high value operations, serving as an attractor to the rural areas.

Economic Role
Agriculture is an important contributor to the Shire’s economy. The maintenance of an
economically viable agricultural sector will require recognition of and response to changes to
traditional markets and the emergence of new markets. Growth areas within the industry are
expected to be in the areas of farm forestry, macadamias, sugar cane, small scale specialised
crops and agricultural tourism. Economic performance can also be enhanced by providing
opportunities for value-adding to occur, before agricultural produce leaves the farm gate.

Aims
•    Conserve good quality agricultural land by preventing encroachment or alienation by
     incompatible land uses.
•    Encourage the ongoing, productive use of good quality agricultural land for sustainable
     agricultural development.
•    Recognise that sustainable agriculture operates on land not identified as good quality
     agricultural land and protect that agriculture from encroachment or alienation by
     incompatible land uses.

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