In Victoria there are three key strategies in regard to permitted clearing of vegetation;
- avoid the removal of native vegetation that makes a significant contribution to Victoria’s biodiversity
- minimizing impacts on Victoria’s biodiversity from the removal of native vegetation
- where native vegetation is permitted to be removed there must be an offset that makes an equivalent contribution to Victoria’s biodiversity as that of the vegetation to be removed (DEPI, 2013)
In December 2013, The Permitted clearing of native vegetation – Biodiversity assessment guidelines replaced the pervious guidelines Victoria’s Native Vegetation-A Framework for Action and became incorporated into the Victorian Planning Provisions. Cumbre prepares Biodiversity Reports covering the new planning requirements as follows:
- Field Survey – Vegetation Assessment and determination of Ecological Vegetation Classes
- Data & Literature Review
- Property Characteristics (climate, landform, geology, soils)
- Biodiversity and Net Gain Assessment including site based and landscape assessment tool
- Determination of Risk Based Pathway
- Calculation of area of vegetation removal
- Generation of Strategic Biodiversity Equivalence Score
- Determination of offsets (General or Specific)
