The ABC reports:
The Wangaratta council has endorsed its draft rural land strategy.
Mayor Anthony Griffiths says the strategy will now be released for public comment.
He says the draft strategy is about ensuring agricultural land in rural areas is reserved for agriculture.
However, he says that does not mean a ban on building houses in rural areas.
"It's really aimed at ensuring the agricultural land in rural areas is reserved for agriculture," he said.
"Now a lot of people have read into that that we are actually prohibiting houses, in actual fact we are potentially opening up a bit more flexibility with houses, particularly houses that are needed for agricultural purposes."
