Cleeland backs strongerprotections for Euroa farmland

27 August 2026

Cleeland backs strongerprotections for Euroa farmland

Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland MP has backed a Nationals private membersbill that would strengthen protections for productive agricultural land andgive greater weight to agriculture in Victoria’s planning system.

The Planning and EnvironmentAmendment (Agricultural Land and Food Security) Bill 2026, introduced by ShadowMinister for Agriculture Emma Kealy, would establish a framework foridentifying Strategic Agricultural Land and require the agricultural impacts ofprescribed developments to be properly assessed.

Ms Cleeland said farmers acrossthe Euroa electorate needed greater certainty about how decisions affectingtheir land would be made.

“Farmers in my electorate arebeing asked to navigate an increasingly complicated planning system, while moreand more projects are being proposed on or around productive farmland,” MsCleeland said.

“They are not asking fordevelopment to stop. They are asking for the people making these decisions toproperly understand what is being lost when that land is fragmented or takenout of production.

“That means looking at the impacton the farm business, access, water, biosecurity and long-term productivity -not just whether a project can technically fit on a map.”

The Bill would requireconsultation with Agriculture Victoria before significant planning decisionsare made and ensure agricultural expertise is represented on advisorycommittees and Environment Effects Act inquiry panels. It would also strengthenrehabilitation requirements through mandatory bonds and ongoing monitoring, andestablish a public register to track the cumulative impact of development onfarmland.

Ms Cleeland said these measureswere particularly important as regional communities faced increasing pressurefrom transmission infrastructure, renewable energy projects, urban growth andother developments.

“Once productive farmland is lostor permanently disrupted, it is very difficult to get it back,” Ms Cleelandsaid.

“Protecting our farmland is notabout standing in the way of development. It’s about making sure development isproperly planned, and that the people who rely on this land aren’t treated asan afterthought.

“Farmers across Victoria deserve afair hearing when decisions are made about their land.”