ISSUES regarding rural zoning laws have become clearer for Hepburn Shire residents after a public forum at Daylesford Primary School last week.

Rural zones will be deleted from all planning schemes across Victoria and new farming zones introduced in an attempt to protect large scale commercial farmland from turning into residential areas.

Last Thursday, about 120 people listened to a panel of speakers, which included Hepburn Shire Council Mayor David Smith.

Forum co-ordinator Ian Esmore said people came away with clearer knowledge of the new planning scheme.

"Many people conveyed they were much more informed about the issues surrounding the implementation of the new farming zones," he said.

But Mr Esmore said council needed to consider both sides of the argument.

"Local government needs to strike a sensible balance between the preservation of rural agricultural land and the right of property owners to build houses on land that has little agricultural application.

"The complexity of the issues has highlighted there certainly seems to be a need for more explanation of the policy and its interpretation as required in implementation by planning officers of local shire government," Mr Esmore

said.

Hepburn Shire Council supported the protection of the district's large scale commercial farming industry.

Cr Smith gave a brief overview of the rural review which is underway across the shire.