I am advised:
(1) (a)-(c) and (g)The agritourism planning reforms aim to make it easier for primary producers to set up, run and grow agritourism experiences on their farms. Agritourism showcases what’s unique about a region, educates the public about farm-to-plate, and encourages the next generation to farm the land.
Research by the NSW Small Business Commission and Service NSW in 2018-19, under the Making Business Easier program, identified blockages in the planning system which prevented famers doing their preferred agritourism activities and subjected them to delays and costs associated with development applications.
State-wide public consultation on the agritourism proposals in early 2021 and subsequent consultation with industry about the types of agritourism farmers are already doing, confirmed the need for broad land use terms, broad applicability, and simpler and low-cost planning pathways for minor development. This encourages innovation and saves farmers time and money.
To protect prime agricultural land, agritourism must be ancillary to the farm but could bring in more income than the agricultural operations, particularly during periods of drought or other circumstances beyond the farmer’s control.
(1) (d) This information is publicly available at www.planning.nsw.gov.au/agritourism
(1) (e) Farm buildings up to 1200sqm can be built under complying development. A 200sqm building is about the size of a small shed and is not significant for farming properties but will enable a viable agritourism business. Development standards will limit impacts of events on neighbours, roads and amenity.
(f) My diary is publicly disclosed.
(1) (h) For the first time, the reforms give clear definitions and metrics for agritourism development that can be easily understood by farmers, neighbours and councils.
These measures reduce uncertainty for the farming community and will assist council officers when taking compliance action.
(1) (i) By starting the agritourism changes on 1 December, farmers can benefit from the policy over the summer period, including farmers recovering from recent floods. The Department of Planning and Environment is working with councils to ensure agritourism is permitted in the right places and local issues are considered. The agritourism policy will be monitored over the next 12 months to ensure it responds to community expectations.
