“Are our towns going to die?” Farmland fears raised by Council

The South Gippsland Shire Council is pushing for stronger statewide protections to prevent productive farmland from being lost to development.

Councillors unanimously backed a motion on Wednesday, August 19, calling on the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to advocate for the Victorian Government to develop a suitable strategy that would protect the long-term viability of agricultural land in the area.

The motion identified Victoria’s farming capacity as a very important resource for national food security.

The motion was moved by Cr John Schelling and seconded by Cr Sarah Gilligan, and differed from the officers’ original recommendation.

It calls for agricultural land to be mapped across Victoria using historical data and future projections, including water security, soil capacity, climate impacts, regional production capacity and the availability of unfragmented farmland.

The proposed strategy would also establish consistent statewide planning tools that prioritise food production while simultaneously restricting incompatible land uses and providing clearer guidance when development applications will affect agricultural land.

Cr Schelling spoke about the issue, saying that productive land was already being consumed in places like Warragul, Drouin and Cardinia.

He emphasised that subdividing farmland for residential development could also potentially disrupt surrounding agricultural practices.

“This is the food bowl of Victoria, even the food bowl of Australia,” Cr Schelling said.

“What are we going to eat? Are we going to import all our food? Are we going to have jobs for our kids? Are our towns going to just die because there’s no food here anymore?”

Cr Gilligan said South Gippsland’s farmland, water supplies and production capacity would only become more important as the climate changes.

“We need to know what the plans are around where and how we are going to continue growing food for the next 50 to 100 years,” she said.

Cr Scott Rae said agricultural land was under pressure from people attracted to rural areas because of their views, but who didn’t always accept nearby farming activities, which creates tension that he said contributes to fragmentation.

Deputy Mayor Cr Brad Snell supported the notion but warned that new protections should not create unnecessary red tape or prevent landowners from pursuing suitable tourism and event opportunities on agricultural properties.

Mayor Cr Nathan Hersey said council had previously explored ways to strengthen farmland protections but encountered “blockages” because many of the necessary powers rested with either the state or federal governments.

“It’s extremely frustrating for a council like this that has such a focus on agricultural land and food security,” Mayor Hersey said.

He said statewide mapping and stronger planning provisions would give councils the tools they need to protect productive farmland.

Council will submit the motion for consideration at the MAV State Council meeting in October.