Australia’s blueberry boom brings tougher scrutiny of chemicals and water use
Australia’s blueberry industry has expanded into a sector worth more than A$500 million. That growth is now bringing sharper debate over chemical drift, water use and how intensive berry farms should be regulated.
Australia’s blueberry industry is growing rapidly, but the sector’s expansion is also drawing heavier regulatory and community scrutiny. ABC News reports that almost 80% of the country’s blueberries are grown on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, where the industry’s rise has prompted tougher questions about how intensive berry production is managed and supervised.
The scale of growth is striking. In 2004, Australia produced fewer than 2,500 tonnes of blueberries worth an estimated A$24 million. By 2024, output had climbed to 27,500 tonnes valued at more than A$500 million. More than half of Australian households now buy blueberries regularly, and annual consumption of 1 kilogram per person is among the highest rates in the world.
That expansion, however, has sharpened local concerns. Residents at a recent Nambucca Environment Network meeting raised issues around chemical use, water extraction, protective plastic tunnels and bird netting. One resident, Raewyn Macky of the Nambucca Valley, argued that buffer zones are needed because neighbouring communities can be exposed to spray drift from berry farms.
A major point of dispute is planning law. Across much of rural-zoned land in New South Wales, intensive horticulture operations do not need development approval from local government. Critics say new projects should have to consider chemical-drift buffers, traffic impacts and wastewater treatment before being established. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said she would take proposals to state parliament calling for tighter regulation, including mandatory buffers and neighbour notification for new intensive horticulture farms.
Enforcement agencies are already more active. The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority said inspections in berry-growing areas around Coffs Harbour and Nambucca have increased by 180% since 2020, with occasional transgressions identified. The Natural Resources Access Regulator added that 16 of 41 current investigations across the state relate to blueberry farms in that region, with key concerns including unapproved dams, taking more water than permitted, and unlawful pipes and pumps.
Food-safety oversight has also tightened. After earlier media reports about possible chemical residues, the state food authority surveyed 100 raspberry and blueberry punnets bought in Sydney. Pesticides were detected in 95 samples, but none exceeded the maximum residue limit in the food standards code and none were banned for use in Australia. In February, the NSW Food Authority announced new on-farm requirements for berry growers with two hectares or more, and introduced licences for businesses packing or processing produce for other growers.
Industry representatives argue that blueberries are already heavily regulated through rules covering chemicals, water, labour and safety. Some growers say they are reducing reliance on sprays by using innovations such as drip-fed nutrients and pot-grown plants under tunnels. Still, the combination of fast output growth, local opposition and tougher compliance checks is turning Australia’s blueberry sector into a case study of how horticultural expansion can force a rethink of planning and environmental rules.