Blueberry Boom on Mid-North Coast: Balancing Growth & Concerns

0:00It's March 27th. This is Sydney News today, driven by AI. Australia's blueberry industry has exploded on the mid-North coast of New South Wales, where nearly 80% of the nation's crop has grown. Back in 2004, production sat at under 2,500 tons worth about $24 million. Fast forward to this year, and it's up to 27,500 tons valued at over $500 million. And for this healthy, easy snack has fueled the boom, with more than half of Australian households buying blueberries regularly. Per person consumption hits 1 kilogram a year, one of the highest rates worldwide. Industry leaders expect that trend to keep climbing. But locals and advocates are pushing back, calling for stricter rules on intensive farms. They want buffer zones to cut chemical spray drift, better traffic and wastewater plans, and mandatory development approvals from councils. Greens politicians plan to take these ideas to stay parliament, warning the sector risks

1:01losing community support without changes. Regulators have stepped up, with the environment authority boosting inspections by 180% since 2020, uncovering. Minor issues. Food safety checks on store-bought berries found pesticides in most samples, but all within safe limits. New on-farm standards now apply to bigger operations, and watchdogs are probing a handful of non-compliant farms. While the industry insists it's already tightly regulated on chemicals, water, and labor, most growers follow the rules. Efforts continue to target the few bad apples amid this ongoing push for balance between growth and neighbor concerns.