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The Victorian Farmers Federation's Mornington Peninsula branch has urged the state's Agriculture Minister to press harder for protection of peri-urban agricultural land.
Peninsula branch member David Gibb, who has a livestock operation at Red Hill, told the Melbourne VFF conference the government's Green Wedge and Agricultural Land Action Plan was stalled.
"There was a state government promise on the plan two elections ago, submissions closed in February 2021 and there has been radio silence since then."
"Could you speak to your colleague, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny please, to get a wriggle on, because we are losing agricultural land every year, while that government initiative is stalled?"
The government recently amended the Planning and Environment Act of 1987 to mandate councils revise Green Wedge management plans, some of which have been in place for more than 10 years.
Mr Gibb, who has a vealer operation, said it was more than two years since the second round of submissions on the plan closed
"We are still losing agricultural land and fertile parts of greater Melbourne, the Yarra Ranges, Cardinia shire and the Peninsula ," Mr Gibb said.
"High rainfall, good soil, is being displaced by schools, places of worship, rural residential.
"We can't afford to lose this agricultural land."
Mr Gibb said continued development was driving up prices and making it even harder for young people to get into agriculture.
Failure to act on preserving prime agricultural land also drove up rates.
"It's increasing the cost of doing business," Mr Gibb said.
Experts said Melbourne's Green Wedge consulation should have allowed for a reset of planning rules.
But Mr Gibb said it appeared planning was dominated by the development industry
"They regard agricultural land as vacant land waiting for development - instead of agriculture being seen as an economic driver, in Victoria," Mr Gibb said.
"The Planning Scheme needs to reflect agriculture's economic activity instead of being put into a conservation area, in terms of planning - it needs to be given back its status, as adding to Victoria's economic activity.
"We know things need to go to cabinet, we know cabinet is dominated by the Premier, and apparently the Treasurer is the only one who can reason, or talk to the Premier - agriculture and planning are junior portfolios, compared to everything else in government.
Ms Tierney said there had been a lot of work undertaken on the issue.
"It's not in my portfolio area, it's in the remit of Ms Kilkenny and I know she is working tirelessly on this and I am sure we will see something, in this space, shortly," Ms Tierney said.
"This is an issue the minister is looking at and is very conscious of, I am sure she will have something more to say about this shortly."
Asked about the current issues facing the VFF, Mr Tierney said she wouldn't comment except to say unity and collaboration is really important to ensuring we can get things done.
"What we want is people on the ground having the ability to whoever they believe is best placed to represent them," Ms Tierney said.
"We have had a very good relationship with the VFF and great relationships with our commodity sectors.
"It's really inappropriate for me to comment at all, in terms of the representation of organisations within the sector."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
