ADELAIDE Hills growers looking to install permanent netting will be able to bypass planning exemptions when looking to install permanent netting, thanks to a change of regulation this week.
Growers located in the Hills Face Zone - stretching from the City of Playford to Southern Onkaparinga - will no longer need to seek development plan consent to install permanent netting, bringing them to a level playing field with the rest of the state, where the planning exemptions already apply.
Apple and Pear Growers Association of South Australia chief executive officer Susie Green said the change was a "very welcome amendment", and was pleased to see now see consistency across regions.
"We don't have a lot of growers in the HFZ, but for the growers who do fall in that area, this is long overdue," she said.
"The HFZ does have quite restrictive planning regulations in place, and prior to now it was a fairly extensive process extensive process to go through to get development approval - this is certainly going to make life a lot simpler and cheaper for growers in that area," she said.
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"It will cut time frames down as well. One grower I was talking to said it took more than two years to get his approvals through to put netting up."
Local government and planning minister Vickie Chapman said providing further exemptions would help to drive investment in the $1 billion horticultural industry.
"When the planning exemptions for netting first came into effect in 2018, the 'Hills Face Zone' was not included due to aesthetic concerns," she said.
"However, the Marshall Liberal Government has been working with the horticulture industry and recognises the importance of giving growers the choice to use this netting.
"The decision to remove barriers to installation of horticultural netting is a win for the apple and pear industries in the Adelaide Hills and is a common-sense approach.
"Making it easier for more growers to invest in netting to help protect their valuable crop will put more money back in their pockets and that of local economies."
Primary industries minister David Basham said the planning exemptions would make it easier for growers to access the $14.6-million netting grants program.
"The exemptions to netting development applications in the Hills Face Zone provides greater incentive for growers to take advantage of grants available, with $8 million still (available) to be spent on horticultural netting," Mr Basham said.
"We know horticultural netting can help limit the impact from weather events such as hailstorms and wind, protect produce from pests and also save water."
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