Rural Lands Strategy

The Rural Lands Strategy was first initiated in 2012, as Council sought to investigate the issues and opportunities surrounding rural areas in the Eurobodalla Shire.

The purpose of the Strategy has been to encourage a vibrant commercial agriculture sector, increase rural living opportunities and support the growth of rural business opportunities, including tourism. At the same time the Strategy seeks to balance the rural economic outcomes with the requirements to conserve the biodiversity and landscape qualities of the shire’s private lands.

The Strategy was adopted by Council in 2016 after extensive consultation throughout the community.

As a result of the adopted Rural Lands Strategy, Council has prepared a planning proposal to implement the recommendations of the Strategy. A planning proposal is a document explaining the intended effect of changes to a local environment plan (LEP) and justifying the need for making the new plan.

Consistent with state government requirements, Council placed the Rural Lands Planning Proposal on public exhibition from 9 May to 22 June 2018 and received a number submissions.

A Council Report has been prepared in response to the submissions, and will be considered at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 28 August 2018. When the report and Council Meeting Agenda is available to download from our Council Meetings page, we will formally notify people who made submissions during the exhibition period.

In the meantime, you can read the presentation made to Council in response to submissions from NSW government agencies and the presentation in response to all submissions:

If Council determines to proceed with the planning proposal, the proposal will go back to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to make the new LEP consistent with the changes detailed in the planning proposal.