Assembly members have voted to establish a working party to "develop a balanced policy" for sustainable rural development and environmental protection.
The proposal was opposed by the SDLP, which had earlier submitted a highly critical private member's motion condemning the Northern Ireland Office for its announcement of severe restrictions on planning permission in rural areas.
Last March, Lord Rooker, the minister in charge of rural affairs, proposed a virtual ban on new single buildings to counter "bungalow blight". He pointed out that the number of rural planning approvals in the North had soared from 1,790 in 1991 to 9,520 in 2004, with indications that the latest annual figure will be well over 12,000.
However, Assembly members on both sides criticised Planning Policy Statement 14, as it is known, warning it would further accelerate the decline in rural populations and cause the loss of 10,000 jobs.
Sinn Féin boycotted the debate arguing they would not be part to a powerless talking shop.
Opening the debate, Patsy McGlone (SDLP, Mid Ulster) said: "This document shows no knowledge of our rural communities, displays no awareness of rural society and no consciousness of the sense of place and belonging that goes with those communities."
His motion was opposed by Jim Wells (DUP, South Down), whose amendment called for the establishment of a working party to develop a balanced policy for the sustainable development of the countryside and protection of the environment.
"I think the one thing we are all agreed on is that something has to be done to prevent the indiscriminate loss of our countryside through speculative development." The statistics were frightening, said Mr Wells, who has backed a campaign in Co Meath against a waste incinerator.
While the population of Northern Ireland was 1.7 million, he said, they passed three times more permission for individual buildings in the countryside than in Britain with 58 million people.
Leslie Cree (Ulster Unionist, North Down) supported the amendment but criticised the "quick fix, one size fits all approach" of direct rule.
Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford) expressed concerns about the restrictions the new proposals put on farming communities to sell their land.
"Rural people must not be forced away from their birthplace to towns and cities," he said.
Independent unionist Paul Berry, a former member of the DUP who left that party after press reports about his private life, made his first contribution to the Assembly.
The DUP amended motion was passed by 35 votes to 17.