The Rural Planner

The Rural Planner provides specialist planning advice with a focus on sustainable agriculture and positive environmental outcomes. Founder Linda Martin-Chew has more than 15 years professional experience as a planner in local government and has a deep understanding of the requirements of Councils in Melbourne’s peri-urban and rural regions. She is also an advocate for more regulatory and policy support for peri-urban farmers and artisan producers. The Rural Planner assists with planning permits for: • Agribusiness — rural industries, function centres and farm cafes. • Agritourism — host farms, camping and wineries/cellar doors. • Pig and poultry farms (which have their own planning frameworks in Victoria). • Residential permits (dwellings to support agricultural uses on small rural lots, generally less than forty hectares). The practice can also provide assistance for land title consolidation and boundary realignments to support improved agriculture outcomes and/or succession planning. Linda is also available for workshops and consultancies, and advice on policy reform and food systems planning.