16General controls for development in the 1 (a) Agriculture Zone

16 General controls for development in the 1 (a) Agriculture Zone

16 General controls for development in the 1 (a) Agriculture Zone

(1) Objectives of the zone The primary objectives of the zone are as follows—

(a) to recognise the importance and retain the productive capacity of high class agricultural land,

(b) to encourage sustainable agricultural practices and management of rural land,

(c) to minimise the incidence of existing and potential rural land use conflict by the appropriate separation of potentially incompatible uses,

(d) to ensure that development and management of land within the zone has a minimal impact on—

(i) water quality and environmental flows of receiving streams, and

(ii) ecological values of the land, including habitat corridors, and

(iii) the amenity of surrounding landowners, and

(iv) rural landscape character,

(e) to encourage habitat restoration on cleared land and rehabilitation activities that enhance the biodiversity values of the escarpment, foothills, riparian corridors, wetlands and wildlife links,

(f) to ensure that mineral resources of State or regional significance are not sterilised by the location of inappropriate uses on adjoining land.

The secondary objective of the zone is to allow non-agricultural uses that are compatible with the environmental quality and visual rural landscape character of land within the zone and that do not adversely impact on the agricultural potential or use of surrounding lands.

(2) Allowed without development consent Exempt development and development for the purpose of the following may be carried out without development consent—

agriculture; approved bush fire hazard reduction; bush food plantations; home businesses; home occupations; identification signs; removal of environmental weeds; roadside stalls.

(3) Allowed only with development consent Any development not included in subclause (2) or (4) may be carried out only with development consent.

(4) Prohibited in the zone Subdivisions that create lots less than 40 hectares in area and development for the purpose of the following are prohibited—