Agritourism pathways for Tweed farms

TWEED Shire Council will present an agritourism workshop for farm owners and managers as part of October Business Month on Monday, October 20.

The session aims to give attendees a clear understanding of agritourism provisions, practical pathways for growth and how to balance new opportunities with the need to safeguard the region’s food bowl.

Tweed Shire Council program leader for sustainable agriculture, Eli Szandala, will outline the value of farmland in the Tweed and why protecting it is critical for the region’s future.

Co-presenter and director of planning and regulation, Denise Galle, said the event would also unpack recent legislation and share case studies on how agritourism can work in practice.

“The main message for all agritourism pursuits is that these activities have to be ancillary (or secondary) to an existing commercial farm,” Galle said.

“We will dive into a couple of case studies that explain when something may or may not be considered secondary to existing commercial farming activities and, as part of this, advice on how to establish your commercial farming operations and speak to council early about your future growth into agritourism.”

The workshop will include information on the three planning pathways for agritourism: land that is exempt and requires no planning approval, complying development, and development applications.

“State legislation can change quickly, so interested operators need to keep checking the legislation to monitor changes,” Galle said.

“Council also has free 30-minute advice sessions where you can book a time to speak with TSC staff at a time that suits you.”

For information and tickets to the free event, visit events.humanitix.com/agritourism-legislation-and-case-studies