Drivers of land use change Driver Research Phase Background Report No. 9 Land use policy Department of Sustainability and Environment Department of Primary Industries Author John Ford For more information about this publication contact John Ford, Social Research Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Office and Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture, Tatura, Victoria 3616. Phone: (03) 5833 5222 Email: [email protected] Acknowledgements The author would like to thank regional agency staff and organisations for their assistance in the development of this report, in particular the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and Strathbogie Shire Council. The Drivers of Land Use Change (DLUC) project is funded under the Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (a joint initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and the Department of Sustainability and Environment). © The State of Victoria, Department of Sustainability and Environment, September 2004 This publication is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical or graphic) without the prior written permission of the State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries. All requests and enquiries should be directed to the Nominated Officer, Copyright, 5/250 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002. ISBN 1 74152 100 9 Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. www.dse.vic.gov.au ESAI project 05116 Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Drivers of land use change Driver Research Phase Background Report 9 Land use policy John Ford Department of Sustainability and Environment September 2004 DRIVERS OF LAND USE CHANGE Driver Research Phase Background Report 9: Land use policy Contents Summary .................................................................................................................. i 1. Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 2. Background......................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Study area...................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Objectives ...................................................................................................... 3 2.3. Scope of Study................................................................................................ 3 3. Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority ........................................ 4 3.1. Role in the Honeysuckle Creek study area ......................................................... 4 3.2. Current implementation of the Regional Catchment Strategy............................... 5 3.3. Future implementation of the Regional Catchment Strategy ................................ 7 3.4. Tension between community ownership and Government direction ..................... 8 3.5. Interaction between Local Governments and the Goulburn Broken CMA............... 8 3.6. Key findings.................................................................................................... 9 4. Strathbogie Shire Council ................................................................................. 10 4.1. The wider context ..........................................................................................10 4.2. Purpose and function......................................................................................11 4.3. Planning........................................................................................................12 4.4. Incorporating native biodiversity into the Municipal Strategic Statement review ...15 4.5. Roadside Management Policy ..........................................................................16 4.6. Land Management Policy ................................................................................18 4.7. Future pressures ............................................................................................19 4.8. Native Vegetation Retention Controls ...............................................................20 4.9. Discussion .....................................................................................................22 4.10. Key findings...................................................................................................24 5. Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 25 6. References ........................................................................................................ 27 Appendix 1 Honeysuckle Creek Study Area....................................................................29 Appendix 2 Strathbogie Shire Council planning permits by type.......................................30 Appendix 3 Percentage area of each municipality covered by rural zones.........................31 DRIVERS OF LAND USE CHANGE Driver Research Phase Background Report 9: Land use policy Tables Table 1 Summary of goals and visions in the Goulburn Broken CMA Regional Catchment Strategy .................................................................................... 4 Table 2 Relationship between Goulburn Broken CMA and stakeholders........................ 6 Table 3 Threatening processes and their corresponding land uses .............................13 Table 4 Permit requirements described in zones and overlays for the rural areas of the study area, as they relate to activities that most threaten native biodiversity ..13 Table 5 Permit requirements for three common land use changes for each of the proposed environmental overlays................................................................16 Table 6 Status of Roadside Management Plans in north-east Victoria .........................17 Table 7 List of Community Land Management Goals for the Shire of Strathbogie. .......18 Figures Figure 1 The conceptual approach and the driver sub-projects .................................... 2 DRIVERS OF LAND USE CHANGE Driver Research Phase Background Report 9: Land use policy Summary This study has focused on the land use policies of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (Goulburn Broken CMA) and the Strathbogie Shire. The land use policies of each organisation are changing over time, and it is likely that they will be even more different in another 10 years. The Goulburn Broken CMA plays an important role as a conduit for funds for on-ground works for both land and water management, but also as co-ordinator given its responsibility for the Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS). Community engagement in both planning and works is continues to be a major focus of the Goulburn Broken CMA. Biodiversity concerns are integrated across all aspects of the RCS, while it also has sections that deal with specific biodiversity issues. The Goulburn Broken CMA has several programs that relate to biodiversity, and significant gains are being made through their implementation. It is however unlikely that long term biodiversity goals, as set out in the RCS, will be achieved given current resource levels; as the Background Report No. 1 in this series makes clear, much work is still needed to address the processes that pose problems in the Honeysuckle Creek catchment. Processes established at state government level for addressing state and national priorities in natural resource management are important drivers of change for the Goulburn Broken CMA. The interests of local businesses and communities are also important drivers, as is the economic development agenda of all levels of government. The Goulburn Broken CMA has to reconcile these different drivers. It does so in part by having community engagement as an integral part of its processes. Important drivers of change for the Goulburn Broken CMA are: • state government processes that address state and national priorities in natural resource management • the interests of local businesses and communities • the economic development agenda of all levels of government. The Goulburn Broken CMA has to reconcile these different drivers. It does so in part by having community engagement as an integral part of its processes. The situation in local government is somewhat different. Local government has a long history in Victoria, however council amalgamations in the 1990s meant that the geographic scope and ratepayer base of each council was significantly enlarged. Traditional powers of local government over planning have been extended to incorporate environmental requirements set at state and regional levels. Biodiversity concerns arise on a daily basis at council when permits are sought for a change of land use or to remove native vegetation. However, councils are often ill-equipped and under-resourced to deal adequately with these requirements. Councils are driven by pressures that require them to focus on the ‘main game’ as perceived by dominant interests amongst ratepayers. In the absence of more funds from higher levels of government, devoting more resources