Agritourism reforms unlock benefits for working farms in New South Wales

The New South Wales (NSW) Government introduced changes to the state’s planning system to give farmers the automatic right to welcome paying guests.

“We’ve overcome bushfires and COVID. I’m pleased to hear about these new regulations”, says Bill from Riverview Farmstay, in Narooma, NSW.

The changes are an open invitation to NSW’s 25,000 primary producers to give tourism a go and get a piece of the estimated $18 billion agritourism opportunity. 

Not only can farmers diversify their income by welcoming guests, but regional communities also stand to benefit as people explore regional towns and spend money along the way.

"We’re excited about the new policy that’ll allow more property owners like myself to welcome guests”, says Sue from Mungerarie Farm in Moruya, NSW.

Farm stays, including camping, are a popular choice on Hipcamp. People want to experience life on the farm and rediscover where their food comes from.

What changed?

The NSW Government introduced a statewide planning policy that adds agritourism as a priority of the state’s planning system. The policy creates an exempt development pathway or automatic right to offer farm stay accommodation, including camping.

While this is an automatic right that doesn’t require council approval, there are some eligibility requirements and conditions that need to be met.

The reforms also set new benchmarks for what are reasonable expectations for campers and campsites. For example, campers must be self-contained if no toilet facilities are provided and for bushfire prone land, landowners must display an evacuation diagram with emergency services contact details.

The reforms apply in all NSW local council areas, and councils are now working to implement the changes.