“This will exclude any areas that have been re-zoned lower density or if rural living has been identified as a suitable area for re-zoning into hobby farms,” Council General Manager Steven Pinnuck said.

Prior to amalgamation, the minimum size in Holbrook Shire was 40h, Culcairn Shire 250h, Hume inner 100h and Hume outer 400h.

If the 100h minimum is permitted in the Greater Hume Shire’s Local Environment Plan, farming land will have to be at least 200 h before it can be subdivided into two 100 hectare blocks.

The minimum size of 100h was selected on the basis that it will provide some flexibility as well as retaining prime agricultural land, he said.

“It’s unlikely too many people will want a hobby farm of 100h unless they want to use it for traditional agriculture.”

Mr Pinnuck pointed out the Department of Planning’s SEPP for rural lands has basically abolished what was called concessional lots which allowed smaller allotments to facilitate succession planning.

Cr John Ross asked for his vote against the minimum size of 100h be recorded.

Although he clearly supports the right of farmers to cut off a small section of the farm for succession reasons,(retired parents or younger generation), Cr Ross pointed out, four hectares (10 acres) is sufficient for the purpose.

He objected strongly to “the growing trend towards the breaking up of high rainfall farming lands for large scale lifestyle blocks where the wealthy build homes and run four or five horses until the children grow up and go to university.”

He said the trend is happening in many places around Australia especially along the coastal estuaries. “We have lost horticultural lands in the Sydney Basin, banana plantations at Coffs Harbour and large dairy holdings around Taree in NSW. It’s also happened from Kilmore to Melbourne in Victoria.

“If the trend continues, we’re in danger of losing the ground we produce food on,” he said.

Cr Ross is concerned the breaking up of large acreages will destroy Australia’s ability to produce sufficient quantities of food. He cites a number of related issues; unrestricted chemical use such as cadmium and mercury found in some imported foods; and the use of large scale machinery not efficiently operated on smaller holdings.