draft environment strategy out for comment till 7 nov

Yarra Ranges Council’s draft Environment Strategy, out now for public comment.

This draft strategy has been developed through a consultative process that started in November last year.  Council has worked with the community, Yarra Ranges Environment Advisory Committee and Councillors to shape the strategy.

The Draft Environment Strategy looks at the choices and influence we have as Council and as a community in relation to our natural environment.  The structure of the strategy is supported by six goals:

• Our iconic places and their natural character are actively protected
• Our water resources are improved and preserved
• Our native plants and animals are protected and their habitat is enhanced
• Our local economies are strengthened by environmentally sustainable activities
• Our communities are resilient in the face of a changing climate and extreme events
• All who live and work in the Yarra Ranges see themselves as stewards of our environment.

Council’s draft Environment Strategy is available for comment until 7 November. 

We are very keen to hear from as many people as possible so let us know what you think and encourage those in your networks to have their say. It can be as simple as doing the quick poll online. 

For those with more time we have a discussion thread online, people can chat to us directly at one of the public consultation events we are hosting or people can provide a submission. 

The draft document and all the details are available now from our website at here.

environment strategy launch

Last week I had the great pleasure of MCing the launch of the Shire’s Environment Strategy at Birdsland in Belgrave Heights. .


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The weather turned on a treat and it was a great celebration of all things environmental. What a great setting, Birdsland is one of the Shires high conservation reserves and supports considerable populations of native animal and bird species. The area is also home to an important colony of platypus.

The Grade 2ers from The Patch Primary School provided the entertainment and sung some beautiful songs with an environmental flavour including a very special rendition of ‘All the Earth is Sacred’ a Native American song about the environment.

I was one of the councillor representatives on the Steering Committee assisting with the development of the strategy. There were countless meetings and numerous readings of the document, and all worth the effort. I think the Shire of Yarra Ranges now has a strategy it can be proud of, I know I certainly am.



The strategy covers these policy directions:
Reducing our Human Footprint
- Climate Change
- Water Scarcity
- Purchasing, consumption and Waste
Protecting natural assets and enhancing biodiversity
- Land, waterways and wetlands
- Flora and Fauna
- Air Quality
Facilitating environmental stewardship












I am proud to have played a significant role in its development. I had the opportunity to speak at the launch and said:


“The Shire of Yarra Ranges plays an important part in the liveability of Melbourne, for we are the lungs of Melbourne and the water supply of Melbourne. Our environment is fragile, faces many threats and is under much pressure.

To give you a picture of the environment in the Shire we have 1,920 flora species, of those 108 are rare or threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee (FFG) Act and 7 are significant under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity (EPBC) Act. We have 408 Fauna species, 62 of these are rare or threatened under the FFG Act and 41 are significant under the EPBC Act.

If we fail to act to protect our environment there will be serious consequences such as reduced biodiversity, pollution, nutrient loss or nutrient build up, erosion, reduced air and water filtration, reduced carbon sequestration, reduced productive land and decline of natural eco systems, the very thing that keeps us alive.

Of the land in the Shire, 2% is owned by council, 30% is in private ownership and the rest is Crown Land. Given this mix of ownership it is important that the Shire, the community and government agencies all work together to improve our environment.

We have an intergenerational obligation to work towards a more sustainable future, one that aligns with our community’s aspiration in Vision 2020.”




















If you would like a copy of the:
Environment Strategy
State of Environment Report or
Environmental Iniatives
email me on s.dunn@yarraranges.vic.gov.au

report from the round table 10th June

Environment Strategy - we finally have one!
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A winter's morning - Sherbrooke Forest, Kallista.

It was great to be at council last week to move the motion to ratify the Environment Strategy. The strategy has been a massive effort from all concerned and several months of work has gone into the document. There has been endless meetings to consider the document and after the seventh reading of the entire document I was happy to finally see it before council.

It seems crazy that a municipality like Yarra Ranges never had an Environment Strategy, when you consider how much of the shire is environmentally precious, zoologically significant and home to endangered flora and fauna.

I was one of the councillors on the working group, a task I shared with Cr Jeanette McRae (Ryrie ward). I have been very proud to have a key role in steering this strategy, it's a document that cements Yarra Ranges' reputation as an environmental leader.

The purpose of the Yarra Ranges Environment Strategy is to provide strategic direction and guidance to the Yarra Ranges Shire Council in its:
• delivery of community and infrastructure services;
• management of land parcels that it owns;
• efforts to reduce its own corporate environmental impacts;
• regulation of community activity through planning and other permitting and compliance processes; and
• role as a community leader, advocate and educator in sustainable outcomes.

If you'd like to have a look visit: http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Files/08-06-10Item8-5.pdf