Rural Planning Project
The Rural Planning Project was initiated to improve the capacity of rural industries to engage in relevant policy and planning initiatives. Funding has been provided by the Queensland Government through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to support the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and AgForce. For more information contact Mick Capelin on 0434 606 763 or 3837 4747.
A Scoping Report has been prepared for the project to better define the problem. As part of the scoping report a Project Logic was developed to identify project activities which will directly or indirectly positively address the issues.
A Stakeholder Engagement Plan was developed to identify organisations interested in the project and its outcomes. It sets out strategies to maintain and improve engagement on project-related issues.
Given the limited term nature of the project, several ‘no-regrets’ Project Activities have been selected to focus effort and maximise outcomes. In addition, four Case Studies are being used to provide concrete examples of rural policy and planning issues.
For the latest information on the project (updated quarterly) click here.
Project Objectives
The objectives of the project are to:
- Promote the agricultural sector in planning processes to enhance the security, sustainability and profitability of producers.
- Analyse current State, regional and local planning policies, environmental impact statements and other relevant government policy to understand and advise on the implications for Queensland’s intensive and extensive agricultural industries.
- Develop a coordinated response to assist State and Local Government and other key stakeholders in future policy decisions. Recommendations should promote the agricultural sector within a planning context for the long term, promote sustainable management of agricultural lands, minimise land use conflicts and effectively manage the urban rural interface; and
- Provide support for agricultural industry specific projects in relation to land use policy and planning issues.
Project Activities
Definition of agriculture
In discussion on how to improve outcomes for agriculture in policy and planning processes, the issue of what agriculture actually is has been repeatedly raised. This paper explores the underlying concepts of defining agriculture and attempts to stimulate discussion on how to address its contribution to poor policy and planning outcomes for agriculture.
Information for new Councillors
A Rural Planning module has been prepared for inclusion in the Local Government Association of Queensland’s Local Advantage 2012 training program. It is available here.