Farming zone fears on the fringe of Melbourne

Macedon Ranges has marked several areas of the shire where it would like to reclassify farming zones to conservation, under its proposed Rural Land Use Strategy.

The council said the strategy identified growing pressures on farming land in the shire.

Daniel McKenna, Pastoria East, runs dual-purpose Merinos on 400 hectares and said the shire wanted to reclassify a large part of his property from farming to a rural conservation zone.

Strict conditions would be imposed, if it was reclassified.

"We would be permitted to continue grazing, but if we changed enterprises, we'd have to apply for a planning permit," Mr McKenna said.

But Macedon Ranges mayor Councillor Jennifer Anderson moved to head off concerns, saying the proposals were merely a draft.

"Just because there is an idea, and thought, about a direction doesn't mean that's where it will end up," Cr Anderson said.

"It's not going to happen tomorrow."

She said the proposal had been put out for feedback from landholders.

"The whole reason behind getting feedback is to find out from people what is good, bad or indifferent, what could work, are their different approaches?"

Cr Anderson said council had received a significant level of response to the proposal.

"We well and truly listened to our residents, particularly those whose land may - or may not - be affected by any change."

The two zones still allowed for both agriculture and conservation but also looked at the predominant value inherent in each area under examination.

Most landholders wanted to farm successfully, while protecting the environment.

Read more: Inconsistent planning response failing agriculture

But Mr McKenna said it made no sense to reclassify the land.

"This was traditionally open country; it was maintained by the Aboriginal people, as open grasslands.

"The overlanders came in 1837 and selected here - straight away - because it was open country."

What was now state forest was once grassy woodlands.

"My grandfather could gallop a horse through it - now you can't poke a stick in it."

He said the conservation movement saw the degradation of the grassy woodland to a 'desert' of eucalypts as a positive.

"I see it as a faith-based approach, rather than a scientific one - they don't read history and they can't read the landscape.

The land had been degraded through European neglect and uncontrolled fire.

Mr McKenna said he'd told the council traditional land management practices were to 'cool burn' where small blazes were set to clear the underbrush and keep the country open.

"It was done in a mosaic pattern so that any fire that did happen didn't turn into a 'hot' burn," he said.

"Now farmers are doing the same thing by cell grazing, we are heavily grazing for three weeks to a month then emptying the paddocks for the rest of the year."

The approach had also put Landcare back 100 years.

"None of my neighbours will let any native vegetation show its head on their farm, in case they lose their entitlements too.

"People are planting windbreaks of exotics, not natives, because that might be seen as significant vegetation."

Sheep producer Ray Young, Baynton, said his biggest question was about the impact on his operation, if his land was rezoned.

"They are talking about the whole property, we've got 1200 acres (485 hectares), part of it's bush country, but all the rest is open farmland," Mr Young said.

'I'm not really sure why they want to do it - it must be a Greenies push, or something."

He said under the land management strategy, the council was also proposing to rezone conservation land around Hanging Rock to farmland.

"Maybe this is to cover changing that back to farming, maybe their thinking is that they'll make a farming area a conservation zone, so they don't lose out."

"It's like a compensation sort of thing."

He said he'd been told by council officers he could continue running sheep, but if he wanted to diversity into cropping or other commodities, he'd have to apply for a permit.

"It's a bit of an unknown, it might be all very well at the moment but down the track, I don't know."

He said he didn't take any notice of a flier, which announced the changes.

"I just put it in the bin," he said.

"Council haven't come around to see us, the only contact was that one of the officers said everything was going to be alright and there was no big deal'.

"So then I think, why do it?"

Opposition Agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said Mr Young was never consulted.

"He wasn't even spoken to about the proposed change but if it does go through, it means whatever he wants to do on his own family farm, or his children want to do, will require applying for a permit from decision makers who specialise in heritage/conservation not commercial farming.

Mr Walsh said if the council voted to support the proposed changes, Mr Young's farm would not only become unworkable, "it's market value would plummet, as no farmer in his or her right mind would invest in a basket case like that."

Cr Anderson said council staff had put the proposals together, based on a consultants report on how the landscape could be best utilised and protected.

It could be 12-18 months before anything changed "if it's going to change - and nothing is set in stone, at this stage.

"What happens next is not 'we are going to change the planning scheme and this is what is going to happen' - there is a huge process to go through, if you are going to change something in the planning scheme," she said.

A state government spokeswoman said there was a clear process councils had to adhere to, before seeking final approval from the Planning minister.

"Council must consider feedback received during consultation and respond to local community concerns about land that might be subject to proposed rezoning and requirements for permits and land use changes."