6. Key strategic principles

Cognisant of the project drivers identified in the previous section, the following strategic principles have been established to guide the preparation of this Background Paper and the overall Strategy. These are aimed at providing high level outcomes across the 20-year horizon of the Rural Strategy.

6.1 Protecting key agricultural land resources

Agriculture is a major contributor to the Clarence Valley economy with 1 in 4 businesses being a primary producer14 . Careful planning is required to maintain the benefits to local and regional economy that the sector provides, as well as providing for food security and opportunities within regenerative agriculture and carbon farming. Encouraging ongoing investment in agriculture and protecting the supporting resource base is critical to long-term success.

However, loss of rural land is a key concern. More than 100 million hectares of productive agricultural land is estimated to have been lost between 1997 and 201715 and recent work by the NSW Agricultural Commissioner confirmed that “the State and councils have no oversight of how much agricultural land is available and at what rate it is being converted to other land uses"16 .

Use of key agricultural land for residential (including rural residential), urban or rural lifestyle purposes can threaten the viability of

14 Clarence Valley Local Strategic Planning Statement (2020) – Clarence Valley Council 15 2019 Agrifutures report within Improving the Prospects for Agriculture and Regional Australia in the

NSW Planning System (2021) – NSW Agricultural Commissioner agricultural and rural industries by increasing land values and reducing incentives to buy and sell land as a means of improving agricultural productivity. It can also increase the potential for land use conflict, resulting in detrimental impacts on the mental health of the parties involved, fractures within communities, loss of faith in authorities and the alienation of productive land17 .

The Strategy will aim to protect agricultural land resources wherever possible by:

o discouraging residential development from being located on valuable agricultural land, i.e. on land subject to Far North

Coast Farmland Mapping within the NCRS 2036. o minimising subdivision of rural land, unless demonstrated to improve agricultural productivity or to retain agricultural land o supporting diversification of rural land that supports ongoing agricultural use and provides value adding opportunities o recognising that all of the agricultural uses in Clarence Valley rely on a healthy, sustainable environment.

The value of agricultural land is a strong theme throughout the LSPS and other regional documents, including the NCRP 2036. Protection is specifically addressed in LSPS Actions 13.3, 13.4 and 13.7 of Planning Priority 13 which states “Protect agricultural land and increase opportunities for access to locally produced fresh food and economic growth”.

16 Improving the Prospects for Agriculture and Regional Australia in the NSW Planning System (2021) –

NSW Agricultural Commissioner 17 Managing Farm-Related Land Use Conflicts in NSW (2020) - Australian Farm Institute

6.2 Growing the rural land economy

As a major component of the Clarence Valley’s rural lands, the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry employs more than 1,300 people18 and more than 3,800 people are employed in the agri-food economy19 . With the population of the LGA expected to grow to more than 60,000 by 2041, encouraging employment opportunities on rural lands, including through complementary agri-tourism and recreational opportunities, is an opportunity to support this growth.

The Strategy will build on existing known strengths, such as sugarcane, beef, forestry and aquaculture, by promoting rural industries and reinforcing employment opportunities whilst facilitating the development of new value-adding processes, intensification and encouraging diversification, as well complementary uses such as tourism, recreation and environmental protection (e.g. carbon farming). This is a potential counter-point to the idea of locking up important agricultural land that has the potential to result in a declining workforce through mechanisation and lack of diversity.

LSPS Planning Priority 11 provides the impetus to “Strengthen the local economy and provide opportunities for quality local employment” and identifies agriculture and rural lands as being an “Engine of Growth” as well as a key employment area of the LGA. This principle will seek to facilitate these opportunities.

18 2019/2020 ID Economy Full-time equivalent employment by industry sector https://economy.id.com.au/clarence-valley/employment-by-industry-fte accessed 28 August 2021

6.3 Reinforcing networks and support structures

Rural lands extend to many parts of the Clarence Valley LGA, which is the largest on the North Coast. Supporting rural areas requires both effective co-ordination of information, as well as the infrastructure to enable desired outcomes.

Wherever possible, future development should strengthen the efficient use of infrastructure, services and transport networks, or provide for new infrastructure to avoid overburdening those networks that already exist. Key infrastructure and facilities that support agricultural enterprise include the Grafton Regional Livestock Selling Centre and key transportation links such as the Clarence Valley Regional Airport. Opportunities to utilise, improve and leverage these and other facilities should be reinforced to ensure effective infrastructure provision.

Creating a point of contact within Council to support and integrate with these industry and government networks is also important to ensuring networks and support structures are well co-ordinated. A number of key State agencies, particularly DPI and LLS, provide a range of support networks across the region. Others, from industry and academia to not-for-profits also play key roles in helping to address and co-ordinate responses to issues, distribute valuable information and to increase education and knowledge relating to rural lands.

Reinforcing and leveraging networks and supports structures is critical.

19 Clarence Valley Local Strategic Planning Statement (2020) – Clarence Valley Council

6.4 Taking a future-focused, long-term approach

The Strategy is a long-term plan that considers rural lands over the next 20 years. The Clarence Valley has changed significantly over the past 20 years, both in terms of its natural environment as well as agricultural activities and uses. That said, many long-term planning principles remain relevant and continuing a consistent approach to long-term needs is paramount.

The Strategy will consider how planning for the protection of important agricultural lands occurs now, to enable it to remain available for the future. But with a growing population and emerging trends for agricultural intensification, value-adding uses and diversification, there is also a need to consider what the long-term needs will be and how these can be met.

This principle also captures a range of environmental issues and emerging practices, such as climate change, resilience, regenerative agriculture, carbon farming, water access / security and biodiversity values. It recognises the foundations set by the previous Strategy and the longer-term needs for key issues such as key agricultural land protection, fragmentation and clustering of key industries.

6.5 Providing a consistent planning framework

This principle primarily seeks to recognise and harmonise the localised directions with the broader directions of the region / State. Rural lands and the industries that are represented are generally not confined by LGA boundaries and working within the broader policy context is therefore important.

In that context, there are known changes being considered through the NSW Agricultural Commissioner and DPI land use planning review processes currently underway. There are also potential changes within the agri-tourism and small-scale farm activities being undertaken by DPIE - Planning, meaning that approaches will need to be cognisant of potential future changes.

Strategy outcomes will also need to consider Planning Directions set by the State, as well as the NCRP 2036 which is expected to be renewed by mid-2022. This principle may require difficult conversations across groups to recognise the limitations of Council’s land-use planning powers and utilising other regulatory and non-regulatory tools to achieve better outcomes as part of a broader suite of approaches.