Urbanisation in rural areas - Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farm's Primary Asset - page 143

Collate national demographic data.
Collate national vegetation mapping data.
Use this information as a basis to plan a national approach to land use; specifically:
Plan a national vision for areas of development.
Identify suitable areas for increased productivity.
Plan for the retention and protection of heritage areas.
Plan for funding of capital works on a national scale to enhance primary
production and to plan infrastructure support for new urban development.
Plan legislative changes necessary to enable national planning and implementation
to proceed.
Improve skills of current and future primary producers by all means available.
Put in place a framework that allows primary producers to optimise sustainable
production through sufficient farm gate returns to fund capital and labour
inputs necessary for sustainable land care (currently this is very difficult).
Summary
The series of dry years since 2000 has forcefully shown the critical need to address
planning issues with regard to soil and water use and agricultural production.
These issues must be given a very high priority to meet the ever growing demand
for food on a global scale.
The extent to which urbanisation is permitted must be based on the ability to
provide urban development with a reliable water supply, while retaining quality
land for agricultural production. Dwindling food and energy supplies are a serious
global issue, which will mean that more food will have to be produced close to
where it is consumed, especially perishable food. This will require an urgent re-
assessment and sound long-term planning of soil and water use, and location and
size of urban areas.