Table 3 Biodiversity sensitive urban design actions

Quick wins:

Review and update the biodiversity development controls including better measures to retain vegetation and review the approach to offsets.

As part of the review develop detailed biodiversity mapping and incorporate the mapping into the LEP for existing urban and new development areas to better inform the biodiversity values.

1. Identify high conservation areas with a focus on new development areas including urban release areas and rural residential areas based on vegetation patch size, legislative status and condition

2. Undertake a landscape scale connectivity assessment to map biodiversity corridors to avoid fragmentation of native vegetation with an initial focus on new development areas including urban release areas and rural residential areas and road reserves and incorporate the corridor mapping into the LEP and/or DCPs

3. Support biodiversity with appropriate staffing including specialist ecology and GIS skills to provide in-house technical expertise

4. Review and audit the implementation of Council’s existing Biodiversity Offset Scheme. Include a review of the success of offsetting work undertaken to date and the costs of implementation of the scheme.

5. Consider merit of CVC owned land with biodiversity assets to be conserved in perpetuity whether as a biodiversity offset, stewardship site or similar arrangement

Immediate

Short term

Short term

Immediate

Short term

Medium term