Feedlot development approvals particularly address protection of surface and ground waters, availability of adequate land and community amenity especially odour, noise and dust generation. NSW Agriculture coordinates agency requirements and facilitates the environmental impact assessment process for intensive livestock industry developments. Horticulture Horticulture comprises fruit and vegetable industries as well as nursery, flower crops and turf farming. The most common environmental issues associated with fruit and vegetable production are noise, odour and chemical spray drift, particularly if the cropped area is close to residential areas. ABS statistics identify the south-west plains within the Murrumbidgee and Murray irrigation districts as the main area of production.
Crops grown within irrigation areas can directly contaminate waters with pesticides and fertilisers.
Each key indicator is composed of a series of attributes that reflects sections of agricultural activity. The indicators are designed to act as early warning signs of negative environmental effects and to enable better comparisons between farming practices, management decisions and system performance. The indicators selected are not able to predict change, but can bring specific issues to the fore and rank them according to their importance. Comprehensive data does not exist for most attributes under examination. While economic indicators are well represented, biophysical indicators are less comprehensively recorded.