Attachment 1 VERSION 3.2 PALERANG RURAL LANDS STUDY REPORT Information, issues and options for the future land use of the Palerang rural areas. Prepared by: Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd For: PALERANG COUNCIL June 2015 Palerang Rural Lands Study Report Prepared for: PALERANG COUNCIL JUNE 2015 Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd PO Box 7155 Tathra NSW 2550 tel 02 6494 4145 email [email protected] Palerang Rural Lands Study Report Report Title Palerang Rural Lands Study Report Project: Palerang Rural Lands Study Client: Palerang Council Draft/Final: Draft recommended to Council for public exhibition Note to readers: This is a draft report to be presented to Council for consideration of proceeding to public exhibition. It has been produced by the project consultants, Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd. Reviewed By: Prepared By: G Barry Position: Position: Director Signed: Signed: Date: Date: © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 i Palerang Rural Lands Study Report Document Distribution Version No. Copies Format Issued To Date 2 Word and PDF Project Manager 03/02/15 3 Word Project Manager 27/04/15 3.2 Word Project Manager 26/5/15 Study Team Member Name Position Organisation Garret Barry Director Garret Barry Planning Services Stig Virtanen Researcher Garret Barry Planning Services Leanne Jackson GIS Garret Barry Planning Services © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 ii Palerang Rural Lands Study Report TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................... IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... XI 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Palerang Rural Lands Study ......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of this Report .................................................................................................. 9 1.3 Finalising this Report ...................................................................................................10 2 DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS 11 2.1 Natural Resources of Palerang Rural Area ..................................................................13 2.2 Rural Demography ......................................................................................................32 2.3 Rural Infrastructure......................................................................................................40 2.4 Existing Rural Development ........................................................................................45 2.5 Palerang Rural Economy.............................................................................................70 2.6 Planning Controls Relevant to a Rural Strategy for Palerang ......................................77 2.7 Palerang Rural Settlement .......................................................................................100 2.8 Palerang Rural Residential Settlement .....................................................................119 3 ISSUE IDENTIFICATION AND PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION OF OPTIONS 137 3.1 Supply and Demand for Rural Small Holdings and Lifestyle Blocks ...........................1 37 3.2 Rural Industry Protection and Enhancement .............................................................150 3.3 Subdivision Lot Sizing in the RU1 and E3 Zones .......................................................153 3.4 Intensive Horticulture ................................................................................................. 160 3.5 Farm Succession ......................................................................................................162 3.6 Agricultural Viability ...................................................................................................163 3.7 Water Conservation ...................................................................................................165 3.8 Extractive Resource Protection and Management .....................................................166 3.9 Landscape and Habitat Protection .............................................................................167 3.10 Existing Holdings and Dwelling Lots ..........................................................................171 3.11 Spot Rezoning Requests from the 2013 LEP Process ...............................................173 3.12 Bushfire Protection ....................................................................................................174 3.13 Climate Change ........................................................................................................176 3.14 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................179 3.15 The Influences of Canberra/Queanbeyan and the Coast ...........................................181 3.16 Implications of a Major Urban Complex in Palerang ..................................................182 3.17 Ideas From and Trends of Other Councils ................................................................. 183 3.18 Agricultural Viability Clause? .....................................................................................184 © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 iii Palerang Rural Lands Study Report 3.19 Boundary Adjustment Clause? ..................................................................................185 3.20 Permissible Uses in the E4 zone ...............................................................................185 3.21 Possible changes to State Legislation and Policies ...................................................185 4 TOWARDS A RURAL STRATEGY FOR PALERANG 187 4.1 Consultation on this Draft Rural Lands Study Report .................................................187 4.2 Consultation on the Strategy .....................................................................................189 4.3 Issue Resolution and Option Refinement ..................................................................189 5 CONCLUSIONS 190 6 REFERENCES 191 © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 iv Palerang Rural Lands Study Report LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Vegetation Communities and Threatened Species in the Palerang Area ........ 194 Appendix 2: Some Background on Aboriginal History .........................................................198 Appendix 3: Draft Boundary Adjustment Clause ................................................................. 204 © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 v Palerang Rural Lands Study Report LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Dam storage as percentage of sustainable yield ...................................................21 Figure 2: Cumulative water pollution risk ..............................................................................24 Figure 3: Population age distribution projections for Palerang LGA, 2011–2031 ..................33 Figure 4: Rural Palerang population in Overview ..................................................................33 Figure 5: Lake George Wind Farms......................................................................................42 Figure 6: A sample of land use in West Palerang .................................................................50 Figure 7: Percentage of workers in locality by place of work .................................................72 Figure 8: Income/place of work ACT .....................................................................................73 Figure 9: Illawarra Draft Growth Plan objectives for rural land ..............................................85 Figure 10: Illawarra Draft Growth Plan – Maximising the productivity of Resource Lands .....86 © Garret Barry Planning Services Pty Ltd June 2015 vi Palerang Rural Lands Study Report LIST OF MAPS Map 1: The Study Area.......................................................................................................... 3 Map 2: Locality Place Names of Palerang LGA ..................................................................... 4 Map 3: Former Local Government Boundaries .....................................................................12 Map 4: Catchments of Palerang ...........................................................................................18 Map 5: Extractive Resources of Palerang .............................................................................31 Map 6: Rural Roads in Palerang ...........................................................................................41 Map 7: Division of Rural Ownerships into Rural Residential, Hobby Farms And Commercial Farms .......................................................................................................................59 Map 8: Agricultural Capability Classes .................................................................................67 Map 9A: Rural Lot Size Areas ............................................................................................ 105 Map 9: All Existing Ownerships in RU1 and E3 Zones .......................................................111 Map 10: Vacant Existing Ownerships in the RU1 and E3 Zones .........................................112 Map 11: Existing Ownerships in the RU1 and E3 Zones with a Dwelling ............................ 113 Map 12: Possible Impacts of Fragmentation of Farmland ...................................................115 Map 13: Araluen E4 Zone ...................................................................................................125