BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Strategic Business Panel Meeting Minutes                                              9 May 2018

Minutes of Meeting

Strategic Business Panel Meeting

Venue	Huonbrook Valley Farm, Huonbrook
Date	Wednesday, 9 May 2018
Time	3.00pm

Minutes of the Strategic Business Panel Meeting held on Wednesday, 9 May 2018

File No: I2018/828

PRESENT:   Cr M Lyon, Cr A Hunter, Cr P Spooner

Staff:   Shannon Burt (Director Sustainable Environment and Economy)

            Tania Crosbie (Economy and Sustainability Coordinator)

            Sharyn French (Minute Taker)

            Rob Van Iersel

            Joanne Green

Community:

            Pam Brooke

            Andrew Cameron

            Amy Colli

            George Flick

            Tony Flick

            Rex Harris

            Joe Harvey-Jones

            Johnno Hunter

            Bruno Kortenhorst

            Johan Kortenhorst

            Barbara Martin

            Trevor Martin

            Mark Napper

            Joel Orchard

            Steve Toneguzzo

            Tim Williamson

            Rose Wright

Cr Spooner(Chair) opened the meeting at 3pm and acknowledged that the meeting was being held on Bundjalung Country.

Apologies:

            Cr Simon Richardson                                                                                       

            Charlie Arnett

            Blair Beattie

            Tony Browne

            Megan McPhee

            Ishwinder Thind

            Judy Viola

            Craig Jenkins

            Anne Briggs

            Lindsay Murray

            Jolyon Burnett

Declarations of Interest – Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary

There were no declarations of interest.

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Committee Recommendation:

That the minutes of the Strategic Business Panel Meeting held on 26 March 2018 be confirmed. (Hunter/Spooner)

Business Arising from Previous Minutes

There was no business arising from previous minutes.

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 4.1             Agriculture and Agribusiness in Byron Shire

File No:                        I2018/793

A Presentation by Regionality led to a discussion with Council and farmers about the top line research results of what the farming sector needs to operate more successfully and sustainably into the future.

The outcomes from this research clearly identified a number of initiatives the sector would like to see Council undertake:

· Employ a full-time Farm Liaison Officer to be the one-stop-shop for all information about farming.  This role would be a conduit for:

o new farmers or new lifestylers to the area

o lifestylers wanting to enable farming on their land

o farmers wanting to connect with other farmers, producers or distribution networks

o farmers requiring information from Council

o Council and NOROC for farming education, communication and advocacy.

· Improve communications and the narrative around farming to show that it is valued and a vital industry in Byron Shire.

· Include farming page in Council’s website to house all the latest information to assist farmers.  The final report by Regionality will be placed on this page for the community to refer to.

· Protect farming land and work together to re-activate farmland that is lost to lifestylers and hobby farmers.

· Establish an Agriculture Industry Cluster that is representative of all farmers.

· Continue to improve land use and environmental mapping plus planning procedures to assist farmers negotiate regulation.

· Train planning staff on agricultural specific information.

· Work with other Councils to develop case studies to demonstrate to the NSW Planning Department and DPI how the current regulations constrain smaller Northern Rivers farmers from being innovative and successful.

The discussion and findings from the Strategic Business Panel meeting will be reported to Council in June 2018.

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 5.30pm.