Byron Development Control Plan (DCP) 2014 Chapters B1 – Biodiversity and B2 – Tree and Vegetation Management has been revised to:
The review identified a number of improvements required in the DCP 2014 Biodiversity and Tree Management Chapters and Part A Preliminary, to:
- improve delivery of biodiversity protection
- reflect current legislation
- improve clarity and application
- better align with the rest of DCP 2014.
Chapter B1 Biodiversity applies to development applications that involve the removal of high environmental value vegetation, or vegetation on land with sensitive attributes, such as waterways, ecological features, or cultural heritage.
Chapter B2 has been reassigned as Chapter F1 Tree and Vegetation Management as it applies when vegetation removal is sought outside of a development application process. A new Part F of DCP 2014 has been created for this purpose.
To review the adopted chapters, see Development Control Plan 2014.
Key Changes
- Removal of Wildlife Corridors as a red flag, to allow the wildlife corridor map to be used to help prioritise and encourage wildlife habitat restoration, rather than unnecessarily constraining existing permitted land uses.
- Specific provisions for infill development in existing urban zones, including:
- introduction of a clear definition
- amended requirements for ecological setbacks
- inclusion of additional performance criteria that prioritise avoiding and minimising development impacts and facilitate alternative solutions to improve biodiversity.
- Expansion of compensatory planting requirements to apply to development assessments, as well as tree and vegetation removal works that fall outside of the DA process.
- Changes to the DCP structure, including:
- consolidating all definitions and Biodiversity Planning Principles into Part A,
- deletion of duplicated or superseded legislation,
- clarifying objectives, performance criteria, prescriptive measures and guidance notes.