Environment - What does the draft Strategy propose?

    Our City will protect and enhance environmental values and the diverse natural landscape, and respond to a changing climate. 

    Protection of the City’s natural environment has become a priority for the community, with many of these areas also important for their recreational value and contribution to our unique local character.  The City is also facing a range of new challenges as the world’s climate changes. 

    Local Planning Strategy Actions focus on: 

    • Increasing tree canopy cover to address the heat island effect, enhance climate change resilience and improve the health and well-being of residents. 

    • Responding and adapting to coastal processes changes. 

    • Identifying and protecting valuable ecological corridors. 

    • Enhancing water quality, the health of wetlands and groundwater resources. 

    • Increasing tree retention and planting in new subdivisions and developments. 

    • Protecting and enhancing important cultural landscapes and places of Aboriginal significance. 

    How will we track our progress? 

    • Formalisation of ecological corridors within the local planning framework 

    • Level of vegetation protection within identified ecological corridors 

    • Establish baseline data as per the Urban Forest Plan, including tree canopy cover 

    • Number of places with Aboriginal heritage significance enhanced or interpreted 

    • Measures to protect environmental values of the rural land