CITY of Coffs Harbour is looking to strengthen economic opportunity on rural properties by allowing landholders to run small-scale events like destination weddings, and to set up artisan food and drink operations on their land.
At its meeting on 23 October, Council voted to send its planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure seeking gateway determination.
“The proposal would allow people on certain RU2 Rural Landscape land to host appropriately scaled rural functions,” Mayor Nikki Williams said.
“Allowing events and boutique food and drink industries like handcrafted cheeses, cured meats or niche restaurant or cafe spaces opens the door for a more diverse agricultural sector by enabling agritourism.”
Under the proposal landholders would still require development consent and would have to meet certain criteria around matters such as traffic, noise levels, waste management, hours of operation and to be visually in keeping with the local landscape.
Rural function centres, for example, would be capped at operating for no more than 30 days each year, while guest numbers would be limited to 150 at any one event.
Similarly, rural function centres cannot serve as a convention or exhibition centre or as a venue for a music or dance festival.
Planning and Communities Acting Director Ian Fitzgibbon said the proposed amendment to the Local Environment Plan would provide a framework to meet the changing needs of the Coffs Harbour rural economy.
“We want to support the local agricultural economy to be able to diversify and explore complementary uses for their land,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“At the same time we seek to protect important agricultural land from fragmentation and ensure that competing activities and land uses on rural lands are managed appropriately.”
The planning proposal would not apply to land in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area mapped as ‘Important farmland’ (being high quality agricultural land identified under the North Coast Regional Plan 2041).
Mayor Williams said the proposed change would stoke Coffs Harbour’s growing agrifood industry, and play to the public’s appreciation for local, high-quality produce.
“Slow food and low food miles have been popularised by TV lifestyle shows – and further boosted by farmers’ markets which have become entrenched in communities right across the North Coast,” she said.
“Allowing rural landholders to establish a function centre also has the potential to diversify and increase farm income.”
Mr Fitzgibbon said artisan food and drink operations could include a cafe or restaurant, but would be small-scale in nature with the floor area used for dining capped at 120 square metres.
If the planning proposal receives a favourable gateway determination, it will be placed on public exhibition for comment.
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