GUIDELINES for development adopted by Eurobodalla Shire Council on Tuesday should see it through to 2031, the development committee was told.

However, strategic planning unit leader Allen Grimwood said, there will be five-yearly reviews.

The Eurobodalla Settlement Strategy will now go for endorsement by State Government.

It's a distillation of the old Rural and Urban Environmental Plans and has entailed considerable research and a great deal of public consultation.

"The strategy combines the directions, responses and actions contained in the draft Urban Settlement Strategy and the draft Rural Lands Strategy into a single document," Mr Grimwood said.

"The strategy addresses the topics of natural hazards, the natural environment, settlement patterns, economic development, rural industry, heritage and infrastructure."

He said climate change had also been taken into consideration, as well as "sea change", the ageing of the population, agricultural restructuring and sustainable urban development.

Some points from the strategy

- Flood risk studies will be undertaken in potentially flood-prone land, such as areas around Mogo and Nelligen. Management plans will be implemented on flood liable land incorporating hazards and risks, with developers required to carry out research into those aspects.

- Bushfire potential will be taken into account to decide whether land may be developed and, if so, to minimise that risk.

- The roles of Moruya as the administrative centre, Batemans Bay as the regional centre and Narooma as the historic coastal resort for Eurobodalla Shire will be reinforced through structure planning and development controls.

- Vacant urban residential land within and adjacent to Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma will be given high priority for release. Vacant urban land in or adjacent to villages and hamlets will have low priority.

- There will be investigation of a rural village zone for small rural settlements, such as Turlinjah, Tilba Tilba and Nerrigundah to enable homes to be built on small, unserviced allotments.

- An affordable housing strategy will be prepared.

- Sustainable agriculture will be promoted by means including growers' markets, farm gate sales and demonstration facilities with associated dining.