After considerable feedback on the Draft Land Use Strategy Council have proposed, in the meeting papers for the 17 December 2020 amended mapping, removing a large amount of the proposed E3-Environmental Management zoning.

Council appear to have conceded that there are alternate ways to achieve the outcomes of the Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS). These include mapping which each of the former Shires have used previously; including: terrestrial biodiversity, riparian corridors, wetlands and natural hazards, and bush fire risk mapping overlays.

Areas under the first draft of the Strategy which were E3-Environmental Management are now proposed to be either RU1-Primary Production or RU2-Rural Landscape.

Some of these areas will have a minimum lot size of either 80, 250 or 400 hectare minimum lot sizes.

Key sections from the Council document to be discussed at the meeting are as follows (it should be noted that it reads as though this is just a delay in the implementing of E3-Environmental Management zoning):

"The majority of concerns centre on the restrictive nature of an E3 Environmental Management Zone."

"The areas previously identified in the draft RLUS as land to be zoned E3 Environmental Management should be revised to zone RU1 Primary Production or RU2 Rural Landscape for public consultation purposes."

"It is also proposed that the draft RLUS is revised to clarify the role of the Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct (SAP) project."

"The draft RLUS may require revision and further consultation when the Snowy Mountains SAP Masterplan is released."

"The broader use of zone E3 Environmental Management across areas of high ecological values was to provide further environmental protections in a clear transparent manner. While this is a positive goal, additional data will need to be gathered before this process could recommence."

"Proposed use of land use zones is to encourage development in appropriate locations and discourage or prohibit in problematic areas. The use of land use planning in this instance helps offer certainty to an investor."

"Council has a responsibility to test ideas and seek community input on land use planning at a strategic level. The draft RLUS seeks to encourage best practice planning across the rural lands of the region by protecting production and addressing land use conflicts."

"Council seeks to be responsive to community views and as such this report recommends a change in approach responding to community concerns."

You can view the section of the Business Papers by clicking on the below. The Business Papers are 49.2mb so I have extracted the section on the Land Use Strategy. If you want to view the whole document, you can do so at: Business Papers and Minutes 2020 | Snowy Monaro Regional Council (nsw.gov.au)