The issue is poor land planning by the State government, not alleged discrimination against farmers who will get windfall profits from the changed use and subdivision of their rural-zoned properties.

The land concerned is not significantly above sea level, as might be expected of freshwater flood plain. It is fertile red soil country and holds water well. It can grow practically anything suited to the climate.

Developers are interested because it is relatively flat, easy for earthmoving equipment and more canals can be dredged at low cost.

First, there is plenty of other land available.

Secondly, the development that is required is in the North, not in already infrastructure overloaded SEQld.

Thirdly, there is a limit to the supply of good land suitable for small crops, especially so close to major cities.

It is completely untrue that small cropping is always unviable. There is a rapidly expanding market for fresh, local, organically grown produce. But why would anyone want to cover thousand of hectares of prime small crops land with concrete and bitumen, especially when there is plenty of land that is less suitable for agriculture but fine for houses on the other side of the highway (M1)? -But better still, in Far North Qld. There is already far too much development affecting the foreshores of the bay.

Where are we talking about here?
Jacobs Well?

Armchair Critic,

A fair question so I will use another post.

Norwell Valley. West and North of Jacobs Well, with Ormeau and Stapleton as the first western border and then east to the Bay. The reports infer it is 'just' sugarcane land but there is a lot of good dairy and grazing country as well. Early estimate is 250 property owners.

However it also sets the precedent for land elsewhere.

Again, if the Chinese developer wants to invest, what about developing Far North Qld?

General Comment on hort. crops farming
There are options never considered in the past with export potential because of counter-seasonality to China, Taiwan and other markets. That is why it is silly to discount the timber and shoots of clumping bamboo to take an instance.

But why put houses on it ruling out any other future except more concrete and bitumen?

Stapylton

It isn't prime agricultural land. It's too wet and stormy to be of much value for farming.

See http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2016/s4453359.htm

Hey onthebeach,
I'm familiar with the area you're talking about, but I haven't been out that way for a few years.

It's hard for me to have a 'for' or 'against' position on this one.
There's a lot of factors to take into account.

Firstly, if you're talking about some precedent being set, then you're a few decades too late.
If you went a little further north to the Redlands for example a lot of good farmland has become housing estates already.

The little farmer stall by the side of the road is long gone.

The area between Brisbane and the Gold Coast was traditionally just a travel corridor and much of it was bush.
(except for the area you're talking about)
But with the pace of progress and the growth of these two cities they have started to slowly encroach on each other.

IMO there's a lot of incentive to move from down south to the Gold Coast simply because its a better lifestyle near the beach and its a lot cheaper than other places.
People can sell up down south and move to QLD, buy a nice home and still have plenty of money left over.
So an influx of people coming to the area is not something you can easily stop.
I read an article yesterday where they were talking about population caps on the Coast.

From a farmers perspective, when the helicopters start flying over and taking an interest in their property, that's their opportunity to finally cash in, because they don't make much during a life of farming.

I honestly think the better (flat) land for sugarcane is south of the border, between Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah, but I do have to say something in support of farmers.

I think they get screwed and we should do more for them.
Help them run their businesses more efficiently and make sure they're claiming for everything they can.
Even help them change crops if market forces determine it.

I heard about a guy who grew a crop of garlic not so long ago and made a fortune.