Image: ABC.
Walgett Shire Council will reconsider a key resolution that would allow “intensive plant agriculture” within the shire without local development consent.
Earlier this year, the council pass a resolution to amend the Walgett Local Environmental Plan 2013 to take council out of decision making when it comes to giving development approvals to heavy cropping projects such as cotton and other horticultural plants that require intensive irrigation.
The council had originally looked to simplify the development process to encourage more intensive agricultural projects and so deferred all its power in the approval process to the state government.
Now, some councillors are wondering whether critical local knowledge may get missed in the decision-making…