Wingecarribee Shire Council has launched an investigation into Burradoo Park Farm after the Southern Highlands agritourism precinct used 2022 farm-gate planning rules to secure a fast-tracked development approval.
The 250-hectare property on the edge of Bowral houses the award-winning Three Blue Ducks restaurant, a bakery and cafe, an orchard, a market garden and livestock grazing, and has become a major visitor draw since opening in April.
A private certifier granted the site a complying development consent in 2024 under new laws designed to make it easier for farmers to diversify into tourism and hospitality, but the approval pathway is now under scrutiny because parts of the operation lie close to residences and a rail line.
Residents and nearby landowners have lodged dozens of submissions with council, saying the precinct has produced heavy weekend traffic, parking shortages and risks to pedestrian safety since it opened. One local recorded 804 traffic movements between 8am and 10am on a Sunday, compared with roughly 20 vehicles previously.
“Theoretically this fast-tracked farm-gate legislation was to help struggling farmers. How is it actually being used? Could we need just a couple more checks and balances to get it right for everyone?”
Local councillor Rachel Russell raised that question in a submission to council, while other objectors pointed to concerns about access near the railway. A submitter noted existing barriers and automatic gates at Burradoo Station, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation said it was not consulted during the original approval process.
The application to council asserted the nearest neighbouring homes were more than 600 metres away and calculated the distance to the rail line as 250.7 metres using the shortest walking route through the farm. Maps and local objections, however, show dwellings within a 250-metre radius of parts of the precinct.
Burradoo Park Farm told council that when queries were raised it moved into the standard development application process and has implemented a suite of visitor controls. Management has introduced ticketing to stagger arrivals, weekend traffic control wardens, extra parking, shuttle bus services, pedestrian safety measures and commissioned specialist studies to support the assessment.
Council documents show more than 100 submissions on the current development application, with almost half supporting expansion because of private investment, new jobs and the site’s educational kitchen garden program. Supporters include staff and contractors connected to the precinct, representatives of the SMART Collective that operates the park, and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, which has partnered on food education at the site.
The development application seeks to increase on-site capacity from 100 to 250 visitors at any one time. Opponents warn that the change would bring hundreds more cars to narrow country roads without footpaths, creating safety risks for pedestrians and schoolchildren. Wingecarribee Shire Council confirmed the compliance investigation and said it will not provide further comment at this stage.
