EOIs now open for valley’s Rural Lands Consultative Committee

Published on 02 June 2026

Expressions of interest are now open for up to four community members to join the Nambucca Valley Council Rural Lands Consultative Committee.

Forming this collaborative committee with community members, agricultural groups, farmer groups, relevant State Government agencies and Land Care will enable Council to produce a collaborative Rural Lands Strategy for the local government area.

Nambucca Valley Council Acting General Manager David Moloney said forming this new advisory group and creating a strategy would support the community to achieve good agricultural productivity while better mitigating potential land use conflicts.

“For two years, Council has been working to try and achieve improved outcomes in RU1 Primary Production and RU2 Rural Landscape Zones, specifically better management of water quality and land use conflict,” he said.

“During this process and consulting extensively with the NSW Department of Planning and other agencies, it became clear to Council that producing a Rural Lands Strategy would be beneficial.

“Therefore at the 25 March Ordinary Meeting of Council, Councillors voted to defer the decision on an amendment to the Nambucca Local Environmental Plan 2010 (LEP) and focus on delivering deeper collaboration with community and stakeholders and starting work on a Rural Lands Strategy.

“I encourage any community members with an interest in agriculture, or those people who live or work in a rural zone and who can meet the group’s eligibility criteria, to apply for a position on the new group by Friday 26 June 2026.”

Membership of the Nambucca Valley Council Rural Lands Consultative Committee will include Councillor Jane MacSmith as its chair, and representatives from the NSW Environment Protection Authority, Natural Resource Access Regulator, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Nambucca Environment Network, NSW Farmers Association, Berries Australia, Nambucca Valley Growers and Producers Association, NSW Local Lands Service, and Nambucca Valley Land Care.

The group will advise Council and make recommendations using genuine progress indicators on:

Preparing a Rural Lands Strategy and implementation of recommended actions
Issues affecting agricultural productivity within the valley’s rural zones
Issues affecting potential land use conflicts
Supporting environmental management.

For community members on the group, Council is hoping to find people with a strong connection to the valley and who live or work in a rural zone. Community members must also not currently be members of the committee’s other stakeholder groups, to ensure a wide range of different views are represented on the group.

To apply visit Council's Community Feedback and Advertisements page here.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES TO:

Mr David Moloney

ACTING GENERAL MANAGER

02 6568 2555

DATE: 2 June 2026