New university research backs need for 'farming on the fringe' protections

Melbourne University Food Systems senior lecturer Rachel Carey currently leads the Foodprint Melbourne research project.

Since 2015, Foodprint has been investigating ways of strengthening the resilience of the city's food system to increase equitable access to fresh, healthy foods, while promoting sustainable production and consumption.

"I think we have a narrative in Australia that we are a food secure country, because we produce and export a lot of food, but we produce and export a lot of some types of foods, of course particularly dairy, meat and grain products," Dr Carey said.

"We don't have a surplus of all types of food, vegetables are an example where if people were actually eating the recommended number of vegetables suggested under dietary guidelines, we wouldn't actually be producing enough.

"Secondly, food security is about much more than how much food we produce and what is available - it's fundamentally about people's ability to access the food that is available."

Food insecurity was rising, due to increased prices caused by shocks and stresses to supplies, she said.

Food security concerns were also raised by Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president Emma Germano at a Senate inquiry, last year.

Foodprint was about to release the Victorian Food Resilience Planning Project, which had worked with policy makers and other stakeholders to look at what actions needed to be taken to strengthen the resilience of the state's food system to shocks and stresses.

"We are developing a how-to guide, to support policy makers," Dr Carey said.

Such shocks and stresses were climate related, caused by pandemics like COVID-19 and global tensions, she said.

Food systems refer to all the elements and activities related to producing and consuming food, including economic, health, and environmental outcomes.

Dr Carey said the Victorian Food Resilience Planning Project was closely related to food security and the release of the new state government Green Wedge and Agricultural Land policy.

"It's making the case for why its so important for protecting that agricultural land, around the city," she said

"It has never been so important as now, because of the increasing severity and frequency of those shocks and stresses in relation to our food systems," she said.

"It just does not make sense to be having all our food coming from a distance, any more.

"Protecting farmers around Melbourne is a fundamental underlying building block to a more resilient food system, for the future."

The new policy contained "a "positive vision" as to why it was important to protect farmland around urban centres, particularly in the context of a rising population and challenges from climate change.

"(But) the question is, are we doing enough to create long-term certainty for these areas?," Dr Carey said.

"Are we absolutely clear that these areas of food production, in the green wedges around Melbourne will, for the long term, remain as farmland?

"That's the first thing - we need very strong signals to be given - but the second thing is it's not enough to protect farmland

"We need to integrate policy, so we have land use planning policy that really provides strong protection, but it needs to go with policy that secures access to water."

Agricultural and regional development economic policies must also focus on actively promote the viability of farming and supporting primary producers, in those areas.

It was about "joining up policy - it's not just about land use".

"What we want to see is the strengthening of food supply chains, for farmers close to the cities to reap the benefits of farming close to the urban areas," she said.

Dr Carey said the "right to farm" ,which will put the emphasis for mitigation back onto those wanting to develop new projects, was extremely important.

"There are higher costs in farming closer to the cities, in terms of rates and land, there are things we can be doing to recognise and address that," she said.

At Cardinia shire, which is currently undertaking an agricultural audit, acting Planning and Design manager Jason Gilbert said protecting Melbourne's food bowl and future farming activities was critical.

"Green wedges are continually subject to intense pressures for urban development, and council has long advocated for proactive measures to ensure that these pressures are appropriately managed and that the liveability, economic values and the scenic and natural qualities of green wedge areas are not eroded over time," he said.

"While there are no immediate changes resulting from the Action Plan, it signals that planning reforms will be introduced over the next three years to help alleviate the current uncertainty around the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)."

Council welcomed the changes outlined in the plan, including improved guidance and direction for councils in assessing planning permit applications within agricultural areas, as well as revised application requirements, decision guidelines, and updated agricultural planning policy to ensure the protection of fertile soils."

He said the new measures would provide greater clarity for permit applicants and landowners and enable councils to make better long-term planning decisions.

But council would also welcome government funding support, to help implement the changes, as they would involve significant financial costs.

"For example, councils are required to develop management plans for all green wedge areas," Mr Gilbert said.

"Cardinia is home to three green wedge regions, all shared with other councils - but to date, council has only prepared a management plan for one of its regions, that being Westernport.

"This funding support will be vital as each plan can cost tens of thousands of dollars, given the need for preliminary investigations, technical reports, and potentially a planning scheme amendment."

The shire's Arts, Advocacy and Economy manager Dana Harding said council hoped government departments - such as the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - and their agencies became ongoing partners with local government.

"There are some excellent opportunities for Cardinia to partner with state government agencies on a range of projects," she said.

"These might include turning our collective focus to improving soil quality, industry development and market access in the Gembrook region, a comprehensive economic assessment of an airport in Melbourne's south east, expansion of regional agricultural exports, and the fast tracking of integrated water management opportunities in the Koo Wee Rup region."