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Final Cessnock Vineyard District Study 20170327

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Final Cessnock Vineyard District Study 20170327 This report has been prepared by: RMCG Suite 1, 357 Camberwell Road CAMBERWELL VIC 3124 P: (03) 9882 2670 E: [email protected] W: www.rmcg.com.au ABN: 35 154 629 943 Offices in Bendigo, Melbourne, Torquay, Warragul and Penguin (Tasmania) Key Project Contact Shelley McGuinness M: 0408 194 993 E: [email protected] Documentation review and authorisation Job Number: 22-S-07 VERSION STATUS AUTHOR REVIEW QA APPROVED DISTRIBUTION 1.0 DRAFT 17.6.2016 J MCROBERT S MCGUINNESS H BUCK S MCGUINNESS SGS ECONOMIC AND S MCGUINNESS PLANNING 2.0 FINAL 12.12.2016 J MCROBERT S MCGUINNESS S MCGUINNESS SGS ECONOMIC AND S MCGUINNESS PLANNING CESSNOCK CITY 3.0 FINAL 28.02.2017 J MCROBERT S MCGUINNESS S MCGUINNESS SGS ECONOMIC AND S MCGUINNESS PLANNING CESSNOCK CITY CESSNOCK CITY VINEYARD DISTRICT STUDY ½ FINAL 5.6 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 36 6 LAND USE CONFLICT RISK ASSESSMENT – CURRENT 1 INTRODUCTION 6 LAND USE 39 1.1 BACKGROUND 6 6.1 CAUSES OF LAND USE CONFLICT 39 1.2 PURPOSE 6 6.2 APPROACH 39 1.3 SCOPE 6 6.3 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 40 1.4 APPROACH 6 7 LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT 47 2 STRATEGIC AND POLICY CONTEXT 7 7.1 LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT 47 2.1 STRATEGIC CONTEXT 7 7.2 AROUND HERMITAGE 48 2.2 POLICY CONTEXT 9 7.3 LOVEDALE 50 2.3 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 15 7.4 CENTRAL POKOLBIN 52 3 CESSNOCK VITICULTURE 17 7.5 PARISH OF POKOLBIN 54 3.1 OVERVIEW 17 7.6 MOUNT VIEW 56 3.2 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 20 7.7 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 58 4 WINE GRAPE PRODUCTION 22 8 LESSONS FROM OTHER VINEYARD DISTRICTS 65 4.1 OVERVIEW 22 8.1 YARRA VALLEY 65 4.2 HUNTER VALLEY WINE REGION 22 8.2 MCLAREN VALE AND BAROSSA 4.3 CESSNOCK LGA 23 VALLEY 65 4.4 INDUSTRY WIDE ISSUES 26 8.3 SWAN VALLEY 66 4.5 STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS 29 8.4 OKANAGAN VALLEY - CANADA 66 5 LAND SUITABILITY FOR VITICULTURE 30 8.5 NAPA VALLEY 67 5.1 LAND CAPABILITY 30 8.6 OREGON STATE 68 5.2 VITICULTURAL SOILS 33 8.7 KEY FINDINGS 69 5.3 STRUCTURAL FACTORS 33 9 CONSULTATION 71 5.4 CLIMATIC FACTORS 34 10 VINEYARD DISTRICT BOUNDARY 74 5.5 VITICULTURAL SENSITIVITY 34 11 LAND USE TABLES 76 RMCG Environment | Water | Agriculture | Policy | Economics | Communities CESSNOCK CITY VINEYARD DISTRICT STUDY ½ FINAL § Step 5: Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STRATEGIC AND POLICY CONTEXT INTRODUCTION There is strong state, regional and local support to grow the agriculture sector, including viticulture, protect important agricultural land and retain and enhance The Cessnock City Planning Strategy Project aims to: the rural character and amenity of the LGA. However, achieving this goal in provide a solid foundation of evidence to inform the future sustainable Cessnock City is challenged by competing demands for rural land. Regional strategic land use development of the Cessnock Local Government Area growth strategies have signalled significant population growth and (LGA) and to develop a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations development to cater for growth within the LGA. Regional and local strategies based on that evidence which will guide the preparation of future major also support continued growth in the tourism industry by building on existing amendment(s) of Cessnock Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2011 and product strengths and increasing the diversity of experiences. The underlying Cessnock Development Control Plan (DCP) 2010. subdivision pattern, large numbers of properties with dwelling entitlements and expectation of a dwelling on a rural property poses a significant threat to the The project is a whole-of-LGA study and will be informed by the preparation of sustainability of the viticulture industry and the landscape values of the four background studies: Urban housing, Employment lands, Rural lands and Vineyard District. rural living and Viticulture district. This report documents the findings of the viticulture district study and includes CESSNOCK VITICULTURE analysis of land within the current RU4 Zone in CLEP 2011known as the The Hunter Wine region is the nation’s oldest wine region and world renowned Viticulture District. The findings of this work will be integrated with the other for producing premium wines. While the wine industry experienced some elements of the study and eventually inform the development of the Cessnock contraction in production and plantings in the late 2000s, the outlook is now City Planning Strategy. more positive. The wine industry and associated tourism is a very significant The issues to be explored in this study are summarised as follows: component of the regional and local economy and employment. Currently, day visitors are the largest segment of the visitor profile and growth in the wine § The local viticultural economy and wine tourism, trends in viticulture and tourism industry is forecast. The tourism offer in the Vineyard District includes vineyards, other land uses, issues and opportunities accommodation (large scale resorts through to small farm stay and bed and § Assessment of and threats to the Districts visual qualities, Viticultural breakfast), golf courses, restaurants, cafes and cellar door. Some rationalisation Sensitivity’, and rural land use conflict risk of some cellar door businesses is anticipated. Further tourism development § National and international examples of protecting the unique identity and needs to be carefully managed to preserve the qualities of the Vineyard District integrity of wine-based tourism areas that underpin the tourism demand. § Review of the policy and strategic context, and applicability of the current Given that wine tourism is the dominant purpose for visiting the Hunter Valley, zones the importance of viticulture as a primary land use in the Vineyards District § Identification of future desired character of the Vineyards District and needs to be emphasised and supported through planning polices and controls. recommendations to achieve these outcomes Notwithstanding the attractions of the region, continued effort into promoting The study was undertaken in 5 steps: the Hunter tourism experience and its local produce will be needed to keep the § Step 1: Desktop review and gap analysis of available strategies and data Hunter Valley front of mind for visitors. § Step 2: Desktop analysis and research WINE PRODUCTION § Step 3: Consultation and ground survey The Hunter Valley region represents a relatively small vineyard area on a § Step 4: Draft Report national scale where it accounted for less than 2 per cent of a total vineyard RMCG Environment | Water | Agriculture | Policy | Economics | Communities 1 CESSNOCK CITY VINEYARD DISTRICT STUDY ½ FINAL area of 135,155 hectares in 2015. Vineyard areas across Australia have Any expansion of viticulture will be within the Vineyard District as it is contracted since the end of the wine boom. The vineyard area in Cessnock City essentially ‘landlocked’ by either the Brokenback Ranges to the north and east (Pokolbin subregion) peaked in 1994 at 2,000 hectares and has reduced to just or residential development. over 1,600 hectares by 2016. Without any foreseeable expansion in vineyard area in the short to medium The high cost of wine grape growing in the Hunter region coupled with term, other agricultural activities that could complement viticulture and prevailing climatic challenges would appear to preclude any substantive contribute to the rural amenity include the equine sector or ‘high end’ / increase in vineyard area in a short to medium term planning horizon. Small boutique cattle producers. The potential for expansion in vegetables or areas of new wine grape varieties are expected in the Hunter e.g. Italian orchard fruits appears limited towards supplying quality, local produce (olives, varieties such as Montepulciano; either as new plantings or grafted onto garlic) for restaurants, since scale is important for fully commercial operations. established rootstock. Although any substantive increase in vineyard area appears unlikely in the Policy is required to ensure that any new development is subject to establishing current operating environment, retaining the ability to grow wine grapes new and/or maintaining existing plantings of wine grapes to support wine commercially is crucial to the continued growth and success of the wine and grape production as well as amenity, landscape values and attraction for tourism industry in the Hunter Valley. Further tourism developments can be tourism. Small property sizes will hinder efforts to achieve economies of scale expected and careful planning will need to ensure that development is by vignerons within the region and any further spatial fragmentation of land will sensitive to protecting the primacy of the vineyards and preserve the rural impact on their operations. Further subdivision should be strongly discouraged amenity, its character and scenic vistas, to maintain the quality of the tourism as it will compromise farming operations in the Vineyards District, but also the experience. ability to preserve land for viticulture use or other uses that complement its rural character. The Vineyards District is also increasingly deemed a premium area to live, which brings development pressure from commercial interests and a growing Mapping of viticultural sensitivity has been prepared to inform locations where potential for incompatible land uses neighbouring vineyards; uses that may and what types of development could be accommodated within the Vineyards restrict vineyard operations. District. Given these pressures, vignerons especially need certainty that they can LAND USE CONFLICT RISK ASSESSMENT continue to farm given that annual returns on investment are typically low in The land use risk assessment highlights the risks of further residential and relation to overall capital invested, and returns are only realised over the long tourism development in the Vineyard District. Separation needs to be term. maintained between viticulture and residential and rural residential uses. LAND SUITABILITY FOR VITICULTURE Careful siting of new buildings and structures for tourism is required to ensure that operation of surrounding vineyards is not limited by proximity to visitors.
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