Land use conflict reduction workshops

Southern Cross University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are running rural land use conflict reduction workshops in Coffs Harbour, Kempsey and Glen Innes this week.

The focus of the workshops will be the recently published ‘Living and Working in Rural Areas’ handbook, a valuable resource for rural residents, farmers, and government organisations involved in natural resource management and planning.

“The handbook focuses on ways to reduce land use conflict on the NSW North Coast and Northern Tablelands, and brings together strategies to avoid rural disputes into a single informative resource”, said handbook co- author, Professor Bill Boyd, of Southern Cross University’s School of Environmental Science and Management.

“It contributes to our efforts to highlight ways in which to protect rural productivity and the environment,” he said.

NSW DPI North Coast regional director, John Williams, said the development and implementation of the handbook represented a real partnership between NSW DPI, Southern Cross University and the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (NRCMA).

The NRCMA commissioned the project through its National Heritage Trust Investment Strategy, to provide information and guidelines to enhance land use planning and to help reduce rural neighbourhood conflict.

NRCMA Chair Judy Henderson said the workshops would ‘target local government officials whose day to day business is in planning, environmental services and compliance’.

“We hope that local government councillors will also attend the workshops,” she said.

Workshops all run between 9.45am and 12.30pm. They will be held at the Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club (Tuesday April 15), Kempsey RSL (Wednesday April 16), and Glen Innes RSL (Thursday April 17).

The ‘Living and Working in Rural Areas’ handbook is available for free from the DPI website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au, and workshop participants will receive a copy.

For further information, contact project officer Rob Learmonth on 0428 249 483.