Background

Council has identified areas of land within the Camden LGA as being environmentally sensitive. Land may be considered environmentally sensitive for a variety of reasons, including the presence of endemic and protected ecological communities or populations, its location as a link between larger bushland remnants, or its location adjacent to watercourses or other significant natural features. The Environmentally Sensitive Land map on Council’s website illustrates the likely location of environmentally sensitive land within Camden LGA.  Additional areas of environmentally sensitive land may exist and may not necessarily be shown on the map.

Objectives

1. Protect, manage, enhance and restore as much environmentally sensitive land as possible;
2. Protect and enhance native vegetation for its aesthetic, cultural and heritage values and to retain the unique visual identity of the Camden landscape;
3. Maintain and enhance ecological processes necessary for the continued protection of environmentally sensitive land as well as encourage the recovery of threatened species, communities or populations and their habitats;
4. Ensure that all new development considers and maximises the protection of existing natural features at the site planning, design, development, construction and operation phases of the development; and
5. Provide limited flexibility to achieve conservation outcomes through vegetation / habitat offsets.

Controls

A development application lodged for land shown on the Environmentally Sensitive Land Map as being affected by any of the categories identified in the legend must be accompanied by information that adequately addresses the following matters:

1. Identification of potential adverse impacts of the proposed development on any of the following:
   1. an endemic native vegetation community,
   2. the existing habitat and potential habitat of any threatened species, populations or endangered ecological communities,
   3. a regionally significant species of plant, animal or habitat;
   4. a habitat corridor,
   5. a wetland, and
   6. the biodiversity values within a reserve, including a road reserve or a stock route.
2. If the proposed development is likely to significantly affect threatened species, populations or ecological communities, a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report per the requirements of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 is required.
   
   Note: Development that is likely to significantly affect threatened species needs to be assessed against the following:

   • Biodiversity Offsets Scheme threshold; or
   • Assessment of significance; or
   • Development on Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Values (see Biodiversity Values Map);or
   • Environmentally Sensitive Land Map.
3. If the proposed development is unlikely to significantly affect threatened species, populations or ecological communities, documentation which provides justification for that conclusion is required for assessment.
4. A description of any proposed measures to avoid and / or ameliorate any such potential adverse impact is to be provided.
   1. Fauna habitat protection and enhancement must be undertaken on a like for like basis, taking into account seasonal active roosting and nesting.
   2. Any native vegetation to be removed must be offset on a 1:1 ratio, like for like basis.
5. Development consent may not be granted to development on land shown on the Environmentally Sensitive Land Map affected by any of the categories identified in the legend, unless Council is satisfied that the development meets the objectives of this clause and ensures that:
   1. The development is designed, sited, constructed, managed and operated to avoid potential adverse environmental impact, or
   2. Where a potential adverse impact cannot be avoided and/or better conservation outcomes achieved, the development:
      1. Is designed and sited so as to have minimum adverse impact, and      
      2. Incorporates effective measures so as to have minimal adverse impact, and
      3. Incorporates restoration of any existing disturbed or modified area on the site and where appropriate,
      4. Creates corridor linkages (where possible), expands the size of strategic remnants in accordance with equivalent vegetation / habitat replacement.

Further Information:

Commonwealth