Arable land use

Congratulations to John Hart (Gaz 16/8) for tackling the Baw baw Shire’s draft strategy into rural land use.

It is a long document which brings up many areas of concern. I would like to address the broad issue behind arable land use.

To divide up land which has the potential to grow vegetables or support dairying is a shortsighted process which may give pleasure to current generations but leave future generations short of fresh food.

Whether or not the land is already on multiple titles should be irrelevant. The future sustaining of the human population should be the priority.

My time as a member of Melbourne Water’s Koo Wee Rup Longwarry Flood Protection Advisory Committee and my involvement with several farmers on the flood plain, has shown me the value of flood plain land for the growing of vegetables and for dairying.

The Koo Wee Rup Longwarry Flood Plain, which begins in Labertouche, is close to a growing metropolis, Melbourne.

As population grows and energy resources reduce, arable farmland close to large populations will become one of mankind’s most valuable resources.

To relax the rules about subdivision on the flood plain is to ignore the issue of ongoing food security.

Once the farm land is put under housing it is gone. I hope more people will speak up on this issue. Rosemary Zurrer Longwarry