A clash of cultures is occurring on the New South Wales Mid North and North Coast in Australia as lifestyle and urban sprawl collide with farming.
Agriculture has underpinned the economy of the region for more than a century. But as their populations have exploded, several councils are wrestling with proposed changes to what was previously classified agriculture land.
These changes include new buffer zones for farmland, development applications for new farms and limits on types of netting used on crops.
It is the growth of blueberry farming that has triggered much of the debate. Bellingen Council specified blueberry farming when it passed changes to the regulations.
Changes will have an impact
Mayor Rhonda Hoban's stand against the buffer zones comes despite council staff recommending the changes. These include future horticulture be separated from other land uses with buffer zones.
While the council staff "didn't get it wrong," Cr Hoban believes they "didn't understand the implications".
Fellow councillor Susan Jenvey has 10 hectares of macadamia trees on a 40-hectare property at Valla, north of Nambucca Heads.
She also has off-farm income and dismisses claims the changes will have a profound impact.
"I don't think the sky will fall in if you have a buffer zone," she said.
"Perhaps the State Government and the National Party like to promote this industry being above the rest of community and above the environment," Cr Jenvey said.
"This farming industry just won't last if it puts the community offside."
Cr Hoban argues the blueberry industry is aware of the concerns and is addressing the problem and is halfway through developing a code of conduct.
Vice-president of the Australian Blueberry Growers Association Gurmesh Singh is based at Corindi and his family farms blueberries and macadamias.
He attended the Nambucca council meeting and questions the attitude of some of the elected representatives attitude toward farming.
"One of the councillors actually mentioned in one of the speeches that agriculture doesn't have a future in the area and that farmers should be looking to off-farm income," Mr Singh said.
"So it is not sending a very positive message to the agriculture sector at the moment."
He accused council of having "very little consultation" and claimed that the macadamia, banana and avocado industries were not contacted.
"They had a very limited opportunity to talk to us and we recommended against the proposal in favour of more engagement with industry."
"We'll continue to work with council and develop much better tools to help minimise land use conflicts." Mr Singh argued.
