INFRASTUCTURE

We define infrastructure as the basic physical and organisational structures and facilities needed for a good quality of life. This includes infrastructure facilities and structures such as hospitals, roads, energy and water systems.

Green infrastructure is the physical and organisational structures of green spaces, natural systems and semi-natural systems. Green infrastructure includes private gardens, streets, active transport links, parks, waterways and bushland and supports liveability for the community. Green infrastructure also has different types over a range of spatial scales For example, this includes

- regional scales such as national parks and large river systems

- district scales such as large urban parks, local wetlands and nature reserves

- local scales including local parks, streets and local creeks

- micro scales such as gardens, school grounds, and community gardens

A range of different types and scales of green infrastructure in the Clarence Valley is illustrated in Figure 2

As our communities grow, retaining, enhancing and developing green infrastructure is a key goal in achieving high quality places for people to live.

The NSW Government has strategic commitments to increase green public spaces and green infrastructure This includes the Government Architects Office’s Greener Places Design Guide. Greener Places assists State and local governments to design, plan and implement green infrastructure throughout NSW. Greener Places aims to guide the planning, design and delivery of greener infrastructure to help support more sustainable places. Greener Places includes four key principles for the design of green infrastructure as shown in Figure 1.

1.2. WHY DO WE NEED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?

Like traditional built infrastructure, green infrastructure is essential for providing great places to live and work Green infrastructure provides a range of social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits to communities. The natural environment of our river and river valleys, the escarpment ranges and our coastal places provide the foundation for the character of our urban areas. Having great access to quality natural public spaces is a key component of the liveability of the Clarence Valley.

Green infrastructure provides a wide range of benefits including

- contributing to and protecting the high biodiversity of our bushland, rivers and wetlands

- providing places for recreation and moving around our community

- contributing to our mental health and wellbeing

- providing ecosystem services such as filtering and slowing stormwater, cooler microclimates, improving air quality and providing habitat connectivity

- providing natural resilience to our communities including climate change adaptation, drought adaptation, providing flood protection and providing resilience to bushfires

These benefits are summarised in Figure 3 and the wide range of green infrastructure benefits are shown in Figure 4

Green Infrastucture Is A Major Contributor To Our Community Wellbeing

The Clarence Valley community places a high value on the natural environment and biodiversity. The Clarence Valley’s green infrastructure provides valuable social and health benefits and a great place for recreation Consultation undertaken as part of the Community Strategic Plan clearly identified that the community recognises that green infrastructure is a big part of what makes the Clarence a great place to live and provides a wide range of natural places for people to interact with each other and with the environment. Access to green streets, parks and natural environments provides mental health benefits and a greater sense of happiness and wellbeing and also helps to reduce overweight and obesity rates and encourages and supports physical activity.

Green Infrastructure Supports Our High Biodiversity

The Clarence is one of the most biodiverse regions in NSW:

- approximately 50% of our local government area is national park or state forest

- the Solitary Islands Marine Park borders our southern coastal villages between Sandon and Wooli

- Iluka Nature Reserve is part of the World Heritage Listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia

- 113 threatened flora and fauna species

- 18 threatened ecological communities and 3 endangered populations

- important habitat for endangered species including the Koala species, Coastal Emu, Black-necked Stork and the Coastal Giant Petaltail

Green infrastructure is critical in supporting and protecting the biodiversity values of the Clarence Valley through protecting habitat, enhancing ecological connectivity and connecting fragmented landscapes.

Green Infrastructure Supports The Clarence River

The Clarence River has the largest catchment and the longest river on the NSW east coast and is our greatest natural asset. The river itself is greater than 430km in length with 10 rivers flowing into it. The Clarence River Valley is also renowned for its ecologically significant wetlands, including over 25,000 ha of nationally important wetlands.

Green infrastructure helps to protect wetlands, retain and restore riparian corridors, filter rainwater and other features across our catchment and contributes to a well functioning catchment

Ecosystem Services

Green infrastructure delivers a wide range of ecosystems services such as

- slowing and cleaning stormwater runoff from development

- stabilising soils and reduce erosion

- improving air quality

- contributing to healthy soils and food production

- providing space for recreation and movement through our communities

- helping to mitigate climate change including contributing to cooler communities

Contribution To The Economy

The Clarence Valley’s diverse natural environments and green appearance has a direct impact on our economic sustainability. The natural environment is a key factor in attracting tourists and making the Clarence a desirable place to work, live in and do business.

Green infrastructure supports the natural environment that underpins key industries like agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and tourism, as well as the wellbeing of our community and cultural connections to place. Urban development with higher quantities of street trees, parks and gardens have higher property values, and businesses located on leafy streets have higher levels of walk-in trade. Green infrastructure can also contributes to efficient use of infrastructure, for example a reduction in energy costs through provision of shading and improved microclimates.

Natural Resilience

Green Infrastructure helps to make our communities more resilient. Green infrastructure enhances the capacity of our communities to manage the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. It also supports our native wildlife, giving our unique biodiversity the best chance of adapting to a changing climate. Green infrastructure can also help mitigate the impacts of natural hazards, such as flooding, bushfire, coastal erosion and extreme heat Land use planning has an important role to play determining where and how development occurs across the Valley. Land use planning is key to minimising impacts on biodiversity, natural hazard risks as well as minimising the impacts on amenity and the intrinsic values of natural areas.

Droughts and devastating bushfires, which can result in rapid increases in turbidity, place pressure on our water security. Green infrastructure can support our resilience to droughts and the security of water supplies by retaining water in the landscape reducing water use for irrigation as well as through green water reuse.

Framework For Valuing Green Infrastructure

The NSW Government Department of Planning and Environment has released an Interim Framework for Valuing Green Infrastructure (NSW DPE, 2022). This framework can be used to undertake cost-benefit analysis of projects and programs relating to green infrastructure and public space. This cost benefit analysis can be used to support funding requests including NSW Government grant funding.

Section 3 of the framework provides a useful summary of the benefits of various green infrastructure projects. This is likely to be appropriate for smaller scale projects (for example less than $5M in construction value). Section 5 provides a detailed economic framework and provides a method to estimate a financial dollar value to the total benefits of a green infrastructure project. Section 5 of the framework is most suitable for larger scale projects (for example greater than $5M in construction value)

It is noted that many green infrastructure assets cannot be evaluated on a purely financial criteria and the valuation framework outlined above should be used with due care in decision making processes.