4.1. QUICK WINS – HIGH PRIORITY ACTIONS

Priority Area 1: Biodiversity sensitive design

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.

Priority Area 2: Building on a tradition of great street trees and canopy cover Build on Council’s Urban Tree Management Strategy and Yamba Street Tree Masterplan and undertake analysis to determine the required tree sizes and soil volumes required to achieve a 40% canopy target for new development. Review the Northern Rivers Development and Design Manual and develop a locally appropriate amendment for a minimum zone for street trees within the streetscape free of utility assets.

Priority Area 3: Parks and open space

Develop new standards for the quantity and quality of open space and strategic planning of parks. The standards are to be informed by a range of life cycle costed scenarios for the quality, quantity and distribution of open space to understand the long term sustainability for Council.

Priority Area 4: Connected places

Review the Northern Rivers Development and Design Manual and develop a locally appropriate amendment for minimum standards for footpaths and cycle paths for all new streets

Priority Area 5: Sustainable waterway management

Review the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) requirements and undertake lifecycle costing of WSUD assets to understand the future cost implications and consider a deemed to comply solution which has a focus on multifunctional assets which are cost effective for Council to maintain.

Priority Area 6: Improved Governance

Improve Council’s green infrastructure planning and policy framework that clearly outlines preferred green infrastructure provisions for the Clarence Valley considering scale of development, geography, maintenance, and deemed to comply options

4.2. ACTION PLAN

A key outcome of the Green Infrastructure Strategy is to take a key role in directing the next steps to progress green infrastructure within the Clarence Valley These are key steps which lay the foundations for setting future actions including potential targets and objectives for green infrastructure components.

The action plan includes a set of actions common to all of the priority areas through improved governance and for each of the five key priority area

Each of the actions has an anticipated implementation timing which is based on a combination of anticipated ease of implementation and the priority of the action.