Landowners who plan to build on a bushblock are often required to apply for a planning permit. For the application to succeed, it must include a report on the site’s ecological values, the impact of construction and propose a Property Management Plan. Practical Ecology’s integrated, expert reports are designed to satisfy permit requirements.
Practical Ecology has guided hundreds of landowners through the permit process, from the initial flora survey to writing the final report that accompanies the planning application. Our knowledge of state and federal law – as well as the requirements of local councils and the Department of Sustainability and Environment – means we can identify problems and propose solutions before they become costly headaches.
After an assessment of the site’s vegetation, our ecologists advise the landowner on the best location for construction, as well as future management opportunities and limitations. The suggested construction site is usually the one that minimises damage from the house, utilities, effluent and fuel reduction. Once the site is decided, we fulfil the legislative requirements for a Net Gain Analysis to assess the impact of the proposed development, then use this information to create a Property Management Plan outlining how environmental damage from construction will be avoided, minimised and offset. If the house is within a council’s Wildfire Management Overlay we can also provide fire risk planning and a wildfire management statement. All this information is clearly presented in a comprehensive report that accompanies the planning permit application.
Because Practical Ecology offers an integrated environmental assessment, we save our clients the time and expense of sourcing different experts – ecologists, zoologists, arborists – who may offer conflicting advice. Our detailed reports give our clients’ applications the best chance of satisfying permit requirements by achieving a practical balance between development and environmental protection.
Our client proposed to build a house on a bushblock on the eastern side of Mount Macedon. The block was located in an Environmental Rural Zone with Significant Landscape and Wildfire Management overlays. Under the Planning and Environment Act a council permit would be required to remove native vegetation.
The site was divided into four zones for assessment: a Domestic Zone (for the house and associated infrastructure), an Effluent Zone (the septic tank area), Fuel Modified Bushland (required by wildfire management overlay) and a Bushland Conservation Zone (the rest of the property). A Flora Survey recorded 59 plant species, 53 of which were indigenous. The DSE’s habitat hectare methodology was used to calculate the impact of the proposed construction and fuel modification. Net Gain Analysis was then applied to calculate how this impact could be ‘offset’. A Property Management Plan then explained how this offset would be obtained through weed control, rabbit and fox baiting, avoiding new weed introductions, fencing the construction area to stop damage to surrounding bushland, installing erosion control, and excluding cats, dogs, stock and vehicles from the Bushland Conservation Zone. Practical Ecology’s clear methodology and detailed management plan satisfied the council and a planning permit was issued.
Photo: The house site, Mount Macedon
An environmentally-aware client contracted Practical Ecology to determine the most ecologically responsible site on his land for his planned house.
Practical Ecology assessed six sites, which were quickly reduced to three after considering vegetation, fire-risk and the length of driveway required. Habitat hectare analyses of these three sites were conducted to determine vegetation quality, information which was used to determine conservation significance (along with considerations such as the number of large old trees and potential habitat for threatened species like the powerful owl and tree goanna). Armed with this information, the landholder was able to choose the site with the least environmental impact for his house. In preparation for his planning permit application, a Net Gain Analysis and Property Management Plan were prepared for the chosen site. Where some removal of vegetation was unavoidable, the plan calculated what offsets were required and showed how these could be met through protecting the remaining bushland with an on-title agreement, obtaining recognition for the landholder’s previous weed-control work and committing to a 10 year vegetation improvement plan. The vegetation improvement plan included retaining all trees (dead and alive), protecting saplings from kangaroo browsing, planting 40 eucalypts and fencing to exclude stock and illegal dirt-bike riders.
Practical Ecology’s knowledge of environmental legislation and council requirements meant we not only minimised the ecological impact of the proposed house, but also minimised the time and expense needed to obtain a planning permit.
Our office will close on Friday Dec 23rd, 2011 and re-open Tuesday January...
The Practical Ecology GIS department baked a special cake to celebrate...
Staff at Practical Ecology celebrated Ride to Work Day on 12th October 2011...
Still a core and ongoing aspect of PE is our planning and advice service...
PE has recently undertaken several large-scale ecological connectivity...
Practical Ecology has been busy with many fire related projects over the...
