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E G E T PA UR U 16 AT O FE T-
ELMORE FIELD DAYS
SEPTEMBER, 2013
486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, 3127
GIPPSLAND DAIRY EXPO FEATURE
HAY, SILAGE AND PASTURE PAGES 15 - 17
PAGES 20 - 25
Rural zone reform gets mixed reaction Plans a step in the right direction but more work needs to be done: VFF By DON HEATH
S REDUCE SE OU GREENH SION IS GAS EM
GEORGIA Asling loves getting up close with Murray Grey calves on her parents farm in Jindivick. Read how the Aslings expanded their family farm into a successful enterprise on pages 6 and 7.
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THE ORIGINAL LIQUID THERMAL INSULATION
„ Continued page 12
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HANDLER’S HOLD:
THE Victorian Government’s Rural Zone Reforms, approved by Minister for Planning Matthew Guy on August 14, have been met with a mixed reaction from the VFF and shire councils. The ďŹ nal stage of the Zone Reforms, to be gazetted on September 5, means that Victoria’s six rural zones now include the Farming Zone, Rural Living Zone, Rural Activities Zone, two Green Wedge Zones and the Rural Conservation Zone which, between them, cover the vast geographic majority of the state. Mr Guy said the purpose of the new rural strategy is to make it easier to start and operate rural industries and to give rural and regional councils much greater exibility in managing their own municipalities. “The Coalition Government’s Rural Zone reforms will ensure the structures of country planning zones are determined by country people,â€? he said. The key changes include: s ENCOURAGING AGRICULTURAL USE OF LAND
particularly in the Farming and Green Wedge Zones; s ALLOWING COUNCILS TO CONSIDER MORE ‘off farm’ income streams on farms, such as farm machinery repair businesses; s INCREASING THE PERMIT THRESHOLD FOR extensions to farm out-buildings from 50 m2 to 100 m2; s REMOVING THE NEED FOR A PERMIT FOR primary produce sales, rural stores and most rural industries in the Rural Activities Zone; s ALLOWING COUNCILS THE ABILITY TO DE termine smaller lifestyle lots in the Rural Living Zone where land has already been taken out of agricultural production; s REMOVING ONEROUS RESTRICTIONS ON crop structures, to ensure protection from hail and other elements; and s PROMOTING FARM GATE SALES SUCH AS THE sale of fruit, vegetables and other produce. However, the reforms have only gone part of the way in solving the rural planning puzzle, according to Gerald Leach, VFF land management chair.
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