Stop the sprawl

The Regional Development Australia Barossa Services, affordable housing, viable agriculture, rural environments: Can We Have It All forum at Tanunda last Friday started the 'conversation' with stakeholders across four regional council areas, stretching from Clare to the Willunga Basin.

But while the 'meeting of minds' presented a largely positive vision for integrated planning and development - flagged to return hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the communities involved - their optimism was tempered by the realities about how the process should unfold and the need to get the ultimate model right.

After Adelaide University's Environment Institute Professor Mike Young and Prof of Agriculture and Food Policy Randy Stringer gained the support of four regional councils (Onkaparinga, Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker) to fund a feasibility study into WHS listing, the proposal has been gaining support from a broad range of interest groups.

State Parliament had been discussing legislation to protect McLaren Vale and the Barossa, originally proposed in Member for Mawson Leon Bignell's Agricultural and Tourism Preserve Bill 2009, and a private member's bill - the Willunga Basin Protection Bill - from Robert Brokenshire, MLC, passed through the Upper House in the past month with Liberal and crossbench support.

Following the controversial approval of massive housing developments on 1300 hectares of prime farmland at Mount Barker and Nairne and the ongoing battle against a 77ha sub-division at Seaford Heights, Premier Mike Rann also entered the fray with a promise to look at special legislation to stop the Barossa and McLaren Vale becoming "suburbs of Adelaide".

This will probably mean that Mr Bignell's bill is incorporated in draft legislation to be tabled later this year by Planning and Development Minister John Rau.

While separate to the WHS proposal, the parliamentary activity has highlighted concerns about inappropriate development, urban sprawl and the preservation of valuable farmland in destinations with big investments in agriculture and tourism.

The RDAB forum, with a panel of seven representing agribusiness, academia, youth, construction, planning and the wine industry, considered the proposal: Do councils wish to explore the economic, environmental and social implications establishing WHS for a mosaic of agrarian landscapes stretching from the Clare Valley through the Fleurieu Peninsula?

Proponents say WHS can lead to substantially, higher economic growth from tourism, investment, new business opportunities and 'branding and reputation premiums' for local products.

According to an independent analysis of 15 WHS sites in Australia, listing has been estimated to contribute:

- $7011.4 million in annual direct and indirect regional output or business turnover.

- $3135m in annual direct and indirect regional value added.

- $2117.3m in direct and indirect regional household income.

- 42,873 direct and indirect regional jobs.

Panel member and managing director of Rural Directions David Heinjus says all stakeholders will need to clearly identify the advantages and disadvantages of WHS listing.

"In principle, I think it's worth exploring, but at the moment it remains a conceptual plan," he said.

"I'd like to see more detail, particularly in regard to broadacre farming and intensive livestock.

Mr Heinjus said there could be opportunities for farmers to penetrate sophisticated markets, such as the Lifestyle of Health and Sutainability mega-trend in Europe.

"But I think there is a lot of development work to rollout and wide consultation with landholders to be undertaken," he said.

"The listing would probably open up more advantages in domestic markets, creating access, rather than delivering premiums."

Mr Heinjus believed the next logical step would be to involve State Government while developing a comprehensive marketing business development strategy.

"But just by having WHS does not turn the light on," he said.

*Full report in Stock Journal, April 7 issue, 2011.