February 2011 e-brief 2/2011

Agriculture in the region: historical and current perspectives by John Wilkinson

1 Introduction to contain Sydney’s urban growth in Spreading urbanisation and population identified areas. Containment will growth are putting pressure on continue to reduce the pressure on valued rural and resource lands.2 agricultural lands on the fringes of

Sydney. The conflicting forces and This E-brief presents an overview of interests at work were acknowledged the history of policies relating to in NSW Planning's 2010 discussion agriculture in the Sydney region, paper, Metropolitan Strategy Review placing this in the context of the 2036. The paper recognised the current policy debate. It starts with a economic importance of agricultural commentary on the extent of Sydney's production in the Sydney region, which agriculture. was said to supply a 'significant proportion of the fresh produce consumed in Sydney'. It also 2 Assessing the scale of Sydney acknowledged that: agriculture

viable agricultural lands are facing 2.1 Trends and issues continual pressures from alternative Historically, agriculture in the Sydney land uses and have a role in contributing to a sustainable future region provided a substantial for Sydney. This is especially proportion of NSW requirements for important given the expected primary produce. According to Denis population increases, projected Winston, in the late 1940s: housing needs, changing rainfall patterns and the increasing cost of it produced three-quarters of the transport.1 state's lettuces; half of the spinach; a third of the cabbages and a The Metropolitan Strategy Review quarter of the beans; 70% of the discussion paper continued: state's poultry farms were located in the [area]…and more than 18 per cent of Sydney's milk came The strategy aims to maintain rural from [there].3 activities and resource lands and protect resource lands from incompatible and inappropriate Commenting in 1998 on the benefits of uses. The NSW Government is also the reliable supply and availability of

Page 1 of 13 NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service fresh produce to the residents of the Characterised by small scale farms Sydney region, NSW Agriculture said run by culturally and linguistically that, for example: diverse groups, Sydney’s vegetable farms have been seen to belong to a 85% of mushrooms, 70% of class of agriculture – peri-urban tomatoes and 95% of spring onions farming – which has been produced in NSW are grown in the systematically under-recognised by Sydney region.4 an ABS data collection methodology focused on broad scale agriculture. The perceived undercounting of The following table shows the total Sydney agriculture by the ABS number of farms and the total area of agricultural census resulted in the land farmed in the Sydney region from development of numerous non-ABS 1992-93 to 2007-08: reports seeking to readdress the apparent data gap.6 Sydney's Agriculture,1992-93 to 2007-085 As shown in the above table, the Farms Hectares revised methodology used in the 2005- 1992-93 1,474 80,373 06 ABS agricultural census resulted in 1993-94 1,928 90,519 a marked increase in the number of 1994-95 1,862 100,784 farms. Both James et al and the 1995-96 1,860 88,100 Malcolm and Fahd study, which is 1996-97 1,872 87,600 discussed below, agree that the 2000-01 1,920 76,899 revised ABS data "provide relatively 2005-06 2,611 103,780 trustworthy data on Sydney Basin 2006-07 2,548 94,029 agriculture", at least to the extent that 7 2007-08 2,263 82,243 this data refers to farm numbers.

The above table is from a 2010 report, 2.2 ABS statistics for 2006 Sydney's Agricultural Lands: An Published in December 2010 but Analysis, prepared for the NSW based on ABS 2006 figures, the NSW Department of Planning by Dr Sarah Department of Planning's Metropolitan James and other members of the Plan for Sydney 2036 presented the Urban Research Centre at the following overview of agriculture in the University of Western Sydney. The Sydney region: figures provided are calculations from ABS data on agricultural statistics, Sydney’s agricultural industries published between 1995 and 2009. In contribute approximately seven per James et al, the data is accompanied cent of the State’s total value of agricultural production, yet comprise by a warning, to the effect that, 'due to just 0.2 per cent of NSW’s total rural the methodological changes in the holdings. ABS data valued all time period represented', the trends Sydney farm production at $630 suggested 'are not conclusive'. million in 2006, and total agricultural production including value adding Without delving too deeply into this and processing is currently around methodological debate, the point to $1.5 billion annually. make is that, from the early 1990s, concern was expressed about the Twelve per cent of NSW’s perceived undercounting of Sydney agricultural workers are employed in agriculture in ABS reports. James et al Sydney... In 2006, there were 2,548 agricultural businesses in the state: Sydney metropolitan area,

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employing 8,162 full–time workers Campbelltown: 2005-0613 and many part time, casual and Cattle Slaughterings $26.5m 8 seasonal staff. Vegetables $3.4m Poultry Slaughterings $1.4m In more detail, based on ABS figures Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $1m the following major forms of primary TOTAL $32.3m production, by value, were being pursued in the local council areas of outer Sydney, listed on a north-south Wollondilly: 2005-0614 axis: Poultry Slaughterings $29.8m

Vegetables $12.5m Hawkesbury: 2005-069 Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $7.6m Vegetables $55.4m Milk $4.8m Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $40.5m Cattle Slaughterings $3.2m Poultry Slaughterings $4.6m Eggs $1.8m Egg Production $3.6m Crops for Hay $1.1m Milk Production $2.8m Fruit $0.5m Fruit $2.3m TOTAL $61.3m Cattle Slaughterings $1.6m

TOTAL $110.8m 2.3 Two recent studies

Penrith : 2005-0610 The two studies considered here are: Poultry Slaughterings $17.8m first, the report produced in 2009 by Vegetables $15.8m Malcolm and Fahd and commissioned Egg Production $12.8m by Horticulture Australia Limited and Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $4.5m the NSW Department of Primary Industries; and, secondly, the 2010 Cattle Slaughterings $2.4m Urban Research Centre report written Fruit $1.1m by James and others. Milk Production $0.5m

TOTAL $54.9m 2.4 P Malcolm and R Fahd -

11 Ground Truthing of the Sydney Liverpool: 2005-06 Vegetable Industry in 2008 Poultry Slaughterings $19.8m This survey presents an assessment Vegetables $15.7m of the vegetable growing industry on Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $4.6m the Sydney outskirts. For the purposes Egg Production $2.9m of the study, the Sydney area was Cattle Slaughterings $0.6m defined as bounded by the local Pig Slaughterings $0.6m government areas of Gosford, Wyong, TOTAL $44.2m Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and

12 Wollondilly. The region was divided Camden: 2005-06 into a grid pattern and GPS, satellite Poultry Slaughterings $11.9m imagery and cadastral mapping were Vegetables $11.1m used, plus on ground verification, to Egg Production $5.6m identify relevant properties. The actual Nurseries/Turf/Cut Flowers $3.8m area growing vegetables on each Cattle Slaughterings $1.6m property was measured using satellite Fruit $0.3m imagery verified by on ground physical TOTAL $34.3m inspections. The vegetable farms studied were broken down into three

Page 3 of 13 NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service categories: (a) in-ground vegetable farming; (b) greenhouse production; On the methodological front, Malcolm and (c) hydroponic farming. and Fahd noted that, based on ABS figures, estimates of the relative Malcolm and Fahd's key findings on contribution of Sydney's vegetable the extent of vegetable growing in the industry to the NSW vegetable industry region were as follows: can vary dramatically, depending on whether it is calculated on farming the total number of identified area (20%), total production in tonnage vegetable farms was about (23%), or grower numbers (52%). The 1,052; authors also noted that ABS data the area planted in outdoor- suggests that the 'gross value' of field, greenhouse and outdoor vegetable production, in the Sydney hydrophonic vegetables is region, is around $132 million.17 about 2,025 hectares; the average size of vegetable On the inter-State and intra-State planting on those 1,052 fronts, Malcolm and Fahd concluded holdings was 1.9 hectares; that: more than half of Sydney's identified vegetable growing NSW is a net importer of large concerns are in the State volumes of vegetables from other States….[and] Sydney imports the Government's proposed North vast bulk of its vegetables from West and Southern Growth outside the Sydney region.18 Centres, that is, areas earmarked for release/close One of their recommendations was for subdivision; and compulsory licensing/registration for all together, by area the Southern commercial vegetable growers. and North West Growth Centres contain 60% of Sydney's 2.5 Sarah James et al, Sydney's greenhouse vegetable Agricultural Lands: An 15 industry. Analysis

Malcolm and Fahd's analysis of the Broadly, it was found that, when Sydney vegetable industry is compared with the results from described by James et al as "clearly previous studies, the Sydney the most up-to-date and detailed study vegetable industry had decreased over of the size and location of Sydney's the last 12 years. The authors noted vegetable farms".19 The "obvious that 'Currently, it is considerably limitation" they find with the report is smaller than many industry observers that it "only covers vegetable farms." had previously suggested'. They went For James et al, it would require "A on to say: study with a broader scope…to deliver

a full picture of agricultural land use in The major implication of the development of the Southern and Sydney." North West Growth Centres is that the number of vegetable farms in the James et al review a number of Sydney Region could fall by more relevant non-ABS reports written than 50% and the area devoted to between 1993 and 2009. The findings greenhouse vegetables could of these reports, specifically in respect decline by as much as 60%.16 to the value of primary production in

Page 4 of 13 E-Brief Agriculture in the Sydney region: historical and current perspectives the Sydney Basin and the number of producers, are contrasted with those The significance of the plan was that it found in the ABS agricultural census covered the area of the Sydney data. For example, James et al note metropolis that was available for that NSW Agriculture produced two housing, industry and primary reports in 2003, a draft report and a production. As Hugh Stretton pointed final report, both of which estimated out, "Sydney is boxed in on three sides the value of agricultural production in by the sea and two rugged plateaux."24 the Sydney Basin, including Gosford The core of the area, that was and Wyong, to be $1 billion. According available for primary and secondary to James et al, "This estimate was production, as well as for housing, was more than twice the $467 million value the Cumberland Plain. Mark Tozer has attributed to Sydney agriculture by the written that: ABS in the 1996-97 agricultural census."20 the Cumberland Plain forms an elongated ellipse stretching from For James et al, the fundamental issue Sackville [north of Windsor]…to is that the exact amount of land under Thirlmere [south of Picton]…with the primary production in the Sydney western boundary marked by the monocline of the Blue Mountains. Basin is currently not known.21 East of Parramatta the plain is truncated by the Hornsby Plateau in Overall this review reveals a rather the north and the Woronora Plateau patchy picture of reports on to the south, and terminates near Sydney’s agricultural industry, full of the city centre. The Cumberland inconsistencies and contradictions in Plain comprises gently undulating respect to the current state of plains and low hills.25 Sydney agriculture and its changes over time.22 At the time that the County of

Cumberland Plan was introduced in The same authors note their long term 1951, the two principal areas in outer concern 'about the decline of certain Sydney where agriculture was agricultural industries', notably food extensively practised were the Hills producing ones as opposed to such district of the lower Hornsby Plateau areas as turf and cut flowers.23 (including Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill,

Dural and Galston) and the 3 Sydney's agricultural lands: Cumberland Plain. The then total area the development of of land used for agriculture, on the metropolitan policies Sydney outskirts, occupied an estimated 281,875 acres (or 128,125 3.1 County of Cumberland Plan: hectares).26 preservation of agriculture More than 50 fifty years ago, the An over-arching principle, introduced McGirr Government (1947-1952) through the Plan, was that of "land use oversaw the administrative zoning". Land use was divided into the consolidation of 61 municipalities and following 6 different areas of activity 8 shires into a Greater Sydney area. (or zones): Known as the County of Cumberland business centre; Consolidation, this reform sought to green belt; facilitate a plan to cover the whole of industrial area; the Sydney and surrounds. living area,

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restricted living area; and introduced, Ian Sinclair and his special use.27 colleagues said of Penrith:

According to Spearritt and Demarco: desire for a rural lifestyle within close proximity to the Sydney The aim of the green belt was to metropolitan area has the potential save the metropolis from to cause problems with the existing 'promiscuous urbanisation'. To agricultural uses. . . in the northern prevent farming areas from being parts of Penrith. . .a large number of overtaken by speculative subdivision lots. . .can be purchased relatively the Cumberland Plan proposed a cheaply and which are of a size [that] suits the rural residential minimum subdivision size of 5 acres 30 [two hectares].28 lifestyle aspirations.

On the other hand, the County of Joe Cahill's State Government (1952- Cumberland Plan also enshrined the 59) set in motion the undermining of position of freeways in the the County of Cumberland development of outer Sydney, an arrangements. In 1959 Cahill's Minister initiative that was likely to entice for Local Government, Pat Hills, greater numbers of people towards the prevailed on the Plan's advisory fringes of the city. As Nicholas Low committee to identify land that could and Imran Muhammad explain: be released for development. This was in the context of Sydney's growing The radial network of expressways, population and the build up of demand prepared by the NSW Department of for housing blocks. Main Roads between 1938 and 1946, was given formal approval In 1964, during the term of Robert through the County of Cumberland Heffron's Government (1959-1964), Plan. . .[the] Plan ensured that the the County of Cumberland was wound radial pattern would guide freeway up and replaced by the State Planning development for at least half a 29 Authority (SPA). At the same time, the century. Heffron Government continued to

oversee the rezoning of primary 3.2 Early erosion of the County of production land, for housing and other Cumberland Plan purposes. Thousands of hectares of Ironically, by planning for the provision agricultural land, in the Ryde area, of freeways, the Cumberland Plan were soon released for suburban sowed the seeds of its own erosion. housing. Macquarie University was Over the long term, smallholders on 5- built on 109 farms: 59 of which had acre lots could sell those same blocks, belonged to Italian growers.31 for example, to people from the inner suburbs who were using their cars to 3.3 Sydney Region Outline Plan live further from the city. Those same (SROP) 1968: Downgrading of urban purchasers could then demolish Agriculture the former smallholder's house, and In 1968, under the Askin Government, replace it with a new and bigger home, the State Planning Authority produced all the while forsaking agricultural the Sydney Region Outline Plan 1970- production and simply living on 2000: Strategy for Development. The "acreage". Writing fifty years after the plan, known as the Sydney Region County of Cumberland Plan was Outline Plan, proposed a number of corridors for development. Of

Page 6 of 13 E-Brief Agriculture in the Sydney region: historical and current perspectives particular significance for this E-brief, 3.5 Sydney into its Third Century the plan proposed: a North West (1988): renewed focus on corridor (based around Castle Hill, primary production Rouse Hill and Maralya); a West While Joe Cahill's ALP State corridor (including the Blue Government had inaugurated the Mountains); and a South West corridor advance of residential housing into (based around Campbelltown, agricultural land during the 1960s, 32 Camden and Appin). subsequent ALP governments re- affirmed a commitment to retaining In relation to agriculture, the Sydney primary production on the outskirts of Region Outline Plan accorded it the city. In 1988, during its last months relatively little significance. In a in office, the Unsworth Government chapter headed "The Regional produced the Sydney into its Third Economy and Employment Century plan. , as Minister for Distribution", the State Planning Planning, declared that "the bulk of Authority remarked that, as far as Sydney's population growth will be primary industries were concerned: accommodated in new areas on the fringe." However, he also stated that: only a few thousands of workers in 33 the region, 1%, are so employed. high quality agricultural lands…[should] be kept in use for as 3.4 Whitlam Government and the long as possible, for the economic further expansion of Sydney benefit of the [Sydney] region.36 into agricultural outskirts During the 1970s, with funds provided The plan also maintained the Sydney by the Whitlam Government's Region Outline Plan's North West Department of Urban and Regional corridor recommendation, to form the Development, the expansion of nucleus of a North West Growth Sydney's urban area continued, this Centre.37 time towards the South-West. The st population in the area based on the 3.6 Cities for the 21 Century Macarthur Growth Centre increased by (1995): endorsement of 40,000 between 1976 and 1981.34 agriculture In 1995, in the last month's of the At the State level, in 1979 the Wran Fahey Coalition Government, the Government passed legislation which report Cities for the 21st Century: appeared to offer a means of Integrated Urban Management for safeguarding agricultural land. The Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast Environmental Planning and and Wollongong was released. This Assessment Act 1979 allowed for the also endorsed the role of agriculture in making of environmental planning the Sydney Basin, stating that: instruments (EPIs) for controlling land use. EPIs could be issued either as Agriculture..in the Sydney State Environmental Planning Policies region…[is] worth at least $1 38 (SEPPs) or Local Environmental Plans billion". (LEPs).35 The report declared that a Coalition Government would prepare a plan that would "provide for the long-term future

Page 7 of 13 NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service of the agricultural resource basis of the In another initiative, in September region".39 1995, six months after becoming Premier, Bob Carr established the Although the Fahey Government Premier's Taskforce on Market acknowledged a place for agriculture, Gardening by People of Non-English by this stage primary production in Speaking Background. Three years outer Sydney was in decline. Chant, later, the Taskforce produced its Johnson and Kelleher – in a study of report, a key finding of which was that the period 1984/85 to 1993/94 – 10,000 hectares in the Sydney Basin concluded that, were then devoted to market gardening alone.41 the fruit industry. . .is withdrawing from the [Sydney] fringe. . . Accompanying the taskforce's [vegetable grower numbers] acknowledgment of the significance of decline[d]. . .about 30%. . .[and] in agriculture in the Sydney Basin, Carr's the poultry industry. . .the number of department of urban affairs and operators is also dropping.40 planning produced a new metropolitan

strategy, Shaping Our Cities, which 3.7 Shaping Our Cities (1998): heralded an attempt to maintain maintaining agriculture in agricultural activity in the Sydney outer Sydney region. The stated intent of the 1998 A number of initiatives relevant to plan was one of: agriculture in the Sydney region were introduced in the early years of the protecting primary production…from Carr Government. In August 1996 the competing demands on resources Minister for Agriculture, Richard and minimising conflicts from the Amery, released an Issues Paper incursion of incompatible land called Sustainable Agriculture in the uses.42 Sydney Basin, a process that resulted in the release by NSW Agriculture in Paralleling policy at a State level, a May 1998 of the report Strategic Plan number of councils introduced their for Sustainable Agriculture: Sydney own plans to preserve agricultural Region. Under the heading of land. Edge Land Planning wrote that, "Planning", the report commented: "Zoning the land for agriculture was introduced in Wollondilly Shire Council Agriculture is a significant business in 1996 and Hornsby Council in in the Sydney region. It is yet to 2000."43 achieve its full social, environmental and economic potential. This will Indicating the tensions and conflicting only be achieved if existing and priorities at work, according to Bob potential producers believe that their Fagan, a year before the release of investment of time, energy and Carr's Shaping Our Cities plan, "over money, based on best management practices, is financially rational. three-quarters of designated rural land Investors in environmentally in Sydney's outer areas was zoned for responsible agricultural activities 'rural residential' purposes rather than have to be confident of their long productive agriculture". The greatest term security against external concentration of rural residential use factors such as urban was in the Hawkesbury Council area, encroachment. followed by Penrith, Baulkham Hills, Liverpool and Camden.44

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3.8 Agriculture and housing in 21st created for Local Environmental Plans. Century: Sydney Metropolitan According to the NSW Department of Strategy 2005 Planning's Benefits of the LEP In December 2005 the Iemma Template, the State Government's part Government released another in proceedings will be "to ensure the metropolitan strategy, called City of plan is consistent with regional or Cities. The strategy aimed for the State planning objectives before it 49 establishment of 181,000 new lots to becomes operational." be developed in the North-West (NW), and South-West (SW), of Sydney. Despite the predominance of housing, Growth in and around the NW Centre in the City of Cities plan, provision was was planned to take place in the nonetheless made for agriculture on Baulkham Hills and Blacktown local the city fringe. The "Environment and government areas. Development in Resources" section of the plan stated: and around the SW Centre was designed to take place in the local A framework for the sustainable government areas of Liverpool, development of agricultural Campbelltown and Camden.45 industries and related rural processing will be developed. It will provide for consideration of Just before the release of the plan, agriculture in the planning system by Premier Iemma had written in an clearly demonstrating its article in The Australian that "Sydney importance.50 has to keep growing. . .that's why I've been an unapologetic supporter of new In 2009 a new ministerial direction releases on Sydney's outskirts".46 under section 117(2) of the Environmental Planning and Indicating the direction of policy under Assessment Act 1979 was issued. the new metropolitan strategy, a month According to the direction: before its release the Government announced that two proposed "green The new direction no. 7.1 requires zones", one in each of the NW and SW planning proposals to implement the centres, would be scrapped. The two vision, land use strategy, policies, zones together covered 8,400 outcomes and actions of the hectares in the land release areas and metropolitan strategy. The direction a further 14,000 hectares outside the applies to all local government areas Growth Centres boundary.47 As noted in metropolitan Sydney that are affected by the metropolitan earlier, according to Malcolm and Fahd strategy.51 more than half of Sydney's identified vegetable growing concerns are in the Harvey Grennan recently reported State Government's proposed North that, in the North West Growth Centre, West and Southern Growth Centres, the current Keneally Government has that is, areas earmarked for already rezoned land for 1,200 homes. release/close subdivision. The area will also host the 265-hectare Sydney Business Park.52 In the South In 2006 the Iemma Government West Growth Centre area, the introduced the NW and SW Growth prospects are similar. Applied Centres by officially gazetting the Economics wrote that: Sydney Region Growth Centres 48 SEPP. To complement this, a Traditionally Camden Council common structure and syntax was employed a strong urban

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containment policy…In its 1999 Released in December 2010, the plan, council determined that the review seeks to accommodate these shire population might increase from contrasting interests. The relevant 50,000 to 70,000 people by 2025..If section of the Metropolitan Plan for the SW growth centre reached its Sydney 2036 begins by asserting that target yield, dwellings in Camden "Agricultural lands are vital assets would increase nearly fivefold from 18,000 to 85,000 and the population [which]…provide Sydney with fresh, from 53,000 to 256,000.53 locally-produced food".

3.9 Metropolitan Plan for Sydney On a strategic note, the review 2036 continues:

Between early 2006 and late 2010 the Fringe lands are protected by NSW Department of Planning began focusing the majority of urban making preparations for a review of growth in existing centres and in the City of Cities. In relation to agriculture, Growth Centres. By encouraging a the Department (in association with the compact urban form, the NSW Department of Primary Metropolitan Plan seeks to enhance Industries) hosted a forum in sustainability and environmental December 2008 titled, "Sydney's outcomes across the city.57 Agriculture – Planning for the Future". Participants in the forum included Joe At the same time the Plan envisages Elboustani (a tomato farmer); Tally 125,000 new dwellings in "greenfield" Matthews (a turf grower); Kevin Tolson sites, as opposed to already (Regal Mushrooms); and Alan Wilson developed suburbs.58 On the current (NSW general manager of Inghams). A basis of an average house block size major concern, identified by the of 550 square metres, this would participants, was that: amount to an excision of around 6,800 hectares of previously agricultural Agricultural land needs to be land.59 definitively identified and protected from development processes The review presents a number of through planning policies. 54 objectives and actions. The objectives are fourfold: In a power point presentation to the To contain Sydney's urban forum, the Department of Planning footprint – for which the produced a "Key Action" of protecting corresponding actions are (a) "valuable rural activities and resource "focus land release in Growth lands". This would include maintaining Centres" and (b) "Simplify the "rural activities and resource lands" land release process". and protecting "resource lands from To maintain and protect 55 inappropriate land uses". agricultural activities and resource lands - for which the Other interests and perspectives were corresponding actions are (a) also in play however. For example, it is "Consider development of an reported that "A submission from agricultural policy for Sydney" Walker Corporation…urges the revised and (b) Undertake mapping to strategy be amended to facilitate large- inform future strategic policy 56 scale efficient residential estates." making with respect to agricultural activities and resource lands".

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To encourage investment in Bankstown, Blacktown, Camden, agriculture and resource lands - Campbelltown, Fairfield, Holroyd, for which the corresponding Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith: actions are (a) "Prepare and release guidance on planning From 1989 to 2008, a total of for agricultural activities" and (b) 6,289.74 ha of residential land cover "Plan for the sustainable were added, whilst there occurred a management of construction significant decrease of green area materials". and tree area, with declines of 4,982.58 and 895.88 respectively.62 To maintain Sydney's soil health - for which the corresponding As far as Camden in particular was actions is to 'Finalise and concerned, Tang wrote that "Camden implement the NSW Soils 60 LGA, which was covered by green Policy". area and trees in 1989, is dominated by residential and non-residential 4 Conclusion [industrial] land cover in 2008."63 Population growth, planning and infrastructure issues are among the Many of the key issues and dilemmas key concerns of NSW State politics. All in this debate were canvassed in the of these impact on the further policy 2010 final report of the Senate Select area of agricultural production in the Committee on Agriculture and Related, Sydney region. Responding to Food Production in Australia. The comments in the current debate about report observed: housing developments, Tony McNamara, the President of the NSW The land on the fringes of Australia's Branch of the Planning Institute said: major cities has been an important food growing area, due to the arable The big issues are where is the qualities of the land and the capacity for the infrastructure to proximity to consumers that ensures service the developments and what food freshness and minimal impact will they have on the food transport costs. However, population bowl of Sydney'.61 growth and associated housing development in major cities is This E-brief suggests that successive encroaching into land previously used to provide food for their State governments have tried to 64 maintain a policy retains a place for inhabitants. primary production on the outskirts of Sydney. Major planning strategies, in Just how important is agriculture in the recent years, have indeed determined Sydney region, economically and that the majority of new dwellings otherwise? ABS 2006 figures suggest should be in already developed that the outer Sydney portion, of total suburbs. NSW agriculture, amounted to 7%. This estimation coincides with Malcolm Despite these policy initiatives, and Fahd's observation that most of however, agricultural land in outer Sydney's primary produce needs are Sydney is clearly under pressure from supplied either from elsewhere in the the advance of residential housing and State or beyond. However, a figure of industry. Nuo Tang wrote that in the 7% is far from insignificant. Moreover, western Sydney area, covered by the a case can be made for the local government areas of Auburn, advantages of proximity to the Sydney market.

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Beyond any purely commercial or Systematic Classification and Field pragmatic argument for the retention of Identification of Communities" in Cunninghamia, vol.8, no.1, p.2. agriculture on the Sydney fringe, there 26 M.I. Logan, G.J. Missen and J. Rutherford, is also the over-arching issue of New Viewpoints in Economic Geography: amenity. Put simply, what kind of city Case Studies from Australia, New Zealand, do we want Sydney to be? Malaysia, North America (Martindale Press, Sydney, 1966), pp.255, 259, 268. 27 1 NSW Department of Planning, Metropolitan Windom Wai Hin Ko, Land Use Segregation Strategy Review (Sydney Towards 2036): and Mixing through Zoning Controls in Discussion Paper (NSW Department of Greater Sydney (Bachelor of Planning Thesis, University of NSW, 2009), p.16. Planning, Sydney, 2010), p.22. 28 2 NSW Department of Planning, n.1, p.22. P Spearritt and C Demarco, Planning 3 Denis Winston, Sydney's Great Experiment Sydney's Future (Allen and Unwin, 1988), p 22. – the Progress of the Cumberland County 29 Plan (Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Imran Muhammad and Nicholas Low, Mega 1957), p.49. Projects in Transport and Development 4 NSW Agriculture, Strategic Plan for (Background In Australian Case Studies): Sustainable Agriculture: Sydney Region, Sydney Harbour Tunnel (Australasian 1998, p 14. Centre for the Governance and 5 Sarah James, Sydney's Agricultural Lands: Management of Urban Transport, An Analysis (Urban Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 2006), p.2. University of Western Sydney, Sydney, 30 2010), p.12. Edge Land Planning, Penrith Rural Lands 6 James, n.5, p.6. Study (Edge Land Planning, Bowral, 2001), 7 p.175. For Malcolm and Fahd, it is only ABS 31 estimates of vegetable farm numbers in Catherine Kevin and Ros Pesman, A Sydney, and not the extent or value of History of Italian Settlement in New South production, that can be verified by their Wales (NSW Heritage Office, Sydney, 1998), p.22. analysis. P Malcolm and R Fahd, Ground 32 Truthing of the Sydney Vegetable Industry State Planning Authority, Sydney Region: in 2008 (NSW Department of Primary Outline Plan 1970-2000 (NSW Department of Planning, Sydney, 1968), pp.21-22. Industries, Orange, 2009), pp.16, 18. 33 8 State Planning Authority, n.32, p.28. NSW Department of Planning, Metropolitan 34 Plan for 2036 (NSW Department of Tom Uren, Straight Left (Random House, Sydney, 1994), p.266. Planning, Sydney, 2010), p.163. 35 9 ABS, Agricultural Commodities: Small Area See the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, sections 24-36. Data, Agriculture 2005-06, ABS Catalogue 36 7125.0 (Re-issue) (Additional Tables) – NSW Department of Environment and Table 1. Planning, Sydney into Its Third Century: 10 ABS, n.9. Metropolitan Strategy for the Sydney 11 ABS, n.9. Region (NSW Department of Environment 12 and Planning, Sydney, 1988), p.12. ABS, n.9. 37 13 ABS, n.9. NSW Department of Environment and 14 Planning, n.36, pp.45, 53. ABS, n.9. 38 15 NSW Department of Planning, Cities for the Malcolm and Fahd, n.7, p.15. st 16 Malcolm and Fahd, n 7, p 15. 21 Century: Integrated Urban 17 Malcolm and Fahd, n.7, pp.15, 66. Management for Sydney, Newcastle, the 18 Malcolm and Fahd, n.7, pp.61,71. Central Coast and Wollongong (NSW 19 James, n.5, p.25. Department of Planning, Sydney, 1995), 20 p.68. James, n 5, p 21. 39 21 NSW Department of Planning, n.38, p.68. James, n.5, p.7. 40 22 James, n 5, p 27. J.J. Chant, N.L. Johnson and F.M. 23 James, n 5, p 28. Kelleher, The Future of Agriculture in the 24 Hugh Stretton, Ideas for Australian Cities, Peri-Urban Fringe of Sydney (University of Western Sydney, Sydney, 1998), pp.3-4. third edition (Georgian House, Melbourne, 41 1989), p.257. The Premier's Taskforce on Market 25 Mark Tozer, "The Native Vegetation of the Gardening by People of Non-English Cumberland Plain, Western Sydney:

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Speaking Background, Report (NSW 58 NSW Department of Planning, n.57, p.160. Agriculture, Orange, 2000), p.32. 59 In 2004 the newly introduced NSW Building 42 NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Sustainability Index (BASIX), designed to Planning, Shaping Our Cities: The Planning reduce water and energy consumption, Strategy for the Greater Metropolitan assumed the size of an average house Region of Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong block (in NSW) to be 550 square metres. and the Central Coast (NSW Department of See Raymond Bunker and Darren Urban Affairs and Planning, Sydney, 1998), Holloway, "Planning, Housing and Energy p.22. Use: A Review" in Urban Policy and 43 Edge Land Planning, n.29, pp.49-50. Research, vol.24, no.1, March 2006, p.121. 44 Bob Fagan, "Feeding Sydney – Part 2: 60 NSW Department of Planning, n.58, Understanding Urban Food Security" in pp.158-167. Geodate, vol.22, no.4, August 2009, p.5; 61 S Nicholls and M Moore, 'Green light for Edge Land Planning, n.29, p.5. urban sprawl', SMH, 8 February 2011, p 1. 45 Applied Economics, Residential Building 62 Nuo Tang, Analysis on Land Use Cover Activity in Sydney: An Overview and Seven Change in Western Sydney from 1989 to Case Studies (Applied Economics, Sydney, 2008 (M.Phil. Thesis, University of NSW, 2010), p.28. 2010), p.47. 46 , "The Business of My 63 Tang, n.62, p.47. Government is Business" in The Australian, 64 Senate Select Committee on Agriculture 8 October 2005, p.29. and Related, Food Production in Australia, 47 Peter Williams, "Managing Urbanisation August 2010, para 2.4. and Environmental Protection in Australian Cities – Approaches for Integrating Information about Research Publications can be found on the Internet at the: Biodiversity and Urban Growth in Sydney", NSW Parliament's Website paper presented at the Construction, Building and Real Estate Research Advice on legislation or legal policy issues contained in this Conference of the Royal Institution of paper is provided for use in parliamentary debate and for related parliamentary purposes. This paper is not Chartered Surveyors, Paris, 2-3 September professional legal opinion. 2010. 48 Applied Economics, n.45, p.28. © 2011 49 NSW Department of Planning, Benefits of Except to the extent of the uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this document may be the LEP Template (NSW Department of reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means Planning, Sydney, 2008), p.3. including information storage and retrieval systems, without 50 NSW Department of Planning, City of the prior written consent from the Librarian, New South Cities: A Plan for Sydney's Future Wales Parliamentary Library, other than by Members of the Parliament in the course of their official Metropolitan Strategy (NSW Department of duties. Planning, Sydney, 2005), p.223. 51 NSW Department of Planning, ISSN 1838-0204 Implementation of the Metropolitan Strategy – Ministerial Direction (NSW Department of Planning, Sydney, 2009), p.1. 52 Harvey Grennan, "Hub of Activity" in the Sydney Morning Herald, 30 November 2010, p.14. 53 Applied Economics, n.45, p.37. 54 Elton Consulting, Sydney's Agriculture – Planning for the Future Forum Outcomes Report (Elton Consulting, Sydney, 2009), pp.5, 13-15. 55 Elton Consulting, n.54, appendix C. 56 Urbis, Review of Sydney's Metropolitan Strategy and Metropolitan Transport Plan: Submissions Summary Report (Urbis, Sydney, 2010), p.29. 57 NSW Department of Planning, Metropolitan Plan for 2036 (NSW Department of Planning, Sydney, 2010), p.158.

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