A new environment strategy
for Macedon Ranges Shire
Discussion Paper:
Background, Context
and Scope
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................4
Purpose ........................................................................................... 4
Scope............................................................................................... 4
Background......................................................................................4
Why a new environment strategy? ................................................ 4
Process for review .......................................................................... 5
Findings from review ...................................................................... 5
Strategy ...................................................................................................................5
Integration ................................................................................................................5
Implementation ........................................................................................................5
Engagement ............................................................................................................5
Recommendations from review ..................................................... 6
Strategy ...................................................................................................................6
Integration ................................................................................................................6
Implementation ........................................................................................................6
Engagement ............................................................................................................6
Purpose of the new environment strategy .....................................7
The new strategy as an umbrella document ................................. 7
The new strategy in a broader planning context of Council ........ 7
What will the new environment strategy do? ............................... 8
Developing the new environment strategy ....................................9
Opportunities and Limitations ....................................................... 9
The preferred approach.................................................................. 9
Context for the new environment strategy - environmental
profile ............................................................................................. 11
Landscape and Climate ................................................................ 11
Geology and Soils ........................................................................ 11
River catchments in the Shire...................................................... 14
Native Vegetation.......................................................................... 14
Land Use ....................................................................................... 15
2
Context for a new environment strategy – social profile ............18
Population and growth estimates................................................ 18
Community Environment Groups ................................................ 18
Our ecological footprint ............................................................... 19
Our environmental values (determined in past survey work) ... 19
The ideal of ecological sustainability ...........................................20
What’s in / what’s out ....................................................................20
A VISION for the new environment strategy ................................ 21
Have your say ................................................................................ 21
3
Introduction
Purpose
This paper outlines the background and approach to the development of a new environment
strategy for Macedon Ranges Shire Council. Background information relevant to the
development of the strategy will be outlined in this paper, including the context for
environmental planning at Council, Council’s drivers and expectations, assumptions and
limitations relevant to development of a new environment strategy, and the process to be
adopted for developing the new strategy. It is to serve as a reference document for anyone
interested in understanding the background to the development of a new environment
strategy for Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Scope
The scoping paper provides background information relevant to the development of a new
strategy as an umbrella document to guide Council environmental plans and programs. It is
not intended to present the “state of environment” information in this paper, or the broader
contextual drivers for council action on addressing the key environmental themes. Some of
this type information will be addressed in individual fact sheets for the key themes of climate
change (mitigation and adaptation), biodiversity, and integrated catchment management
(managing land and water together). Only brief descriptions about the main natural features
and social profile of the Shire will be included in this paper.
Background
Why a new environment strategy?
Council adopted a Natural Environment Strategy in May 2009, as a guide for environmental
programs from 2009 – 2012. On 24 July 2103, a Council resolution requested a review of
that strategy, subject to terms of reference that involved three councillors working on the
review over a three month period. A proposal for conducting the review was presented to,
and accepted by Council on 16 July 2014.
The process for the review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy, and the subsequent
findings and recommendations are outlined below. In addition to the review providing a
foundation to guide the development of a new environment strategy, it was recognised that
currently, Council’s programs are undertaken in the absence of overarching environmental
policy. The development of a new environment strategy will allow key policy directions for
programs and environmental outcomes to be defined and guide Council’s work across all
directorates in the future.
4
Process for review
The process for reviewing the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy involved three councillors
meeting three times over three consecutive months from September to November in 2014,
working with officers to analyse and define its strengths and shortfalls.
The review included a high level audit of actions from the 2009 Natural Environment
Strategy, and an assessment of its structure and robustness in providing coordinated
guidance to Council, from strategic directions to specific actions.
The review informed discussions regarding the development of a new strategy, leading to
recommendations for its development, and defining a vision for the new strategy along with
its audience and purpose.
Findings from review
The findings from the review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy were presented to
Council in December 2014. The review found that the conceptual basis underlying the
Natural Environment Strategy remains sound, and that the principles it promoted are still
valid. For example, the intention to incorporate principles of environmental sustainability
across council planning and management practices is still a valid approach to progressing
outcomes for sustainability. However, the review also identified the following shortcomings:
Strategy

There is a poor “line of sight” in the strategy, from the principles of sustainability
through to strategy goals and finally to actions

There is no defined vision for what Council wants to see for environmental
sustainability in the Shire

There are no defined strategic directions in the Natural Environment Strategy,
however, the strategy lists six over-arching goals
Integration

The four pillars of sustainability underlying (Council’s) sustainability framework were
reflected in the council plan at the time, providing consistent guidance to council staff

The Natural Environment Strategy aimed at promoting and integrating sustainability
across Council, through a sustainability framework and integrated impact
assessment toolkit. The framework and toolkit were complex and difficult to apply.
Implementation

The actions were listed under nine themes. Themes 1, 2 and 3 addressed how
Council will work with all stakeholders to achieve outcomes for different aspects of
environmental sustainability, rather than what will be achieved

Many actions could not be implemented, due to being too specific or tied to a
particular time or program. However, the intentions of some actions were achieved
by other means

The three year timeframe was too ambitious for achieving some actions
Engagement
5

The intended audience for the Natural Environment Strategy was not clear

There was inadequate ownership of the strategy within Council
Recommendations from review
The recommendations from the review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy were
presented to Council in December 2014. Below is a summary of the key recommendations:
Strategy
That the next strategy:

be written to direct the Council Plan for subsequent Councils

states a long-term vision for environmental sustainability across the Shire

provides a clear line of sight from a vision through to strategic directions through to
actions

defines strategic directions at a high level to illustrate the pathways Council will take
to get to its vision
Integration
That the next strategy:

promotes the additional and related benefits from environmental outcomes – for
council finances, local economy, social well-being, etc

be written to remain evidence- based and current in terms of science and policy, so
changes in knowledge and attitudes can be accommodated.

promotes the consideration of environmental impacts of council activities, for
example, addressing environmental impacts in project plans and council reports,
supported by guidelines and prompts

be written to remain as current as possible on an ongoing basis, with reference to
state legislation in broad sense rather than specific sense
Implementation
That the next strategy:

be written in a way to maximise opportunity for external grants

considers and promotes working within the framework of a financial reserve policy,
or other suitable financial framework, to enable savings realised from investing in
environmental performance to be re-invested in further works for environmental
outcomes

considers working within financial frameworks to enable matching funds to be
available when bidding for grants

encourages trialling new initiatives as public - private partnerships, for example,
partnering with R + D institutions, local innovators, etc
Engagement
That the next strategy:

be written to remain current and dynamic

be reader-friendly and clear and succinct, based on a defined purpose and audience
6

be developed with involvement of the Health and Well-Being Committee or
alternative reference committee, to ensure its relevance to the community

integrates approaches to engagement across all aspects of environmental
sustainability, and / or includes a specific communications and engagement plan to
support implementation of the strategy

considers the establishment of an internal innovations committee and links to the
Green Team
Purpose of the new environment
strategy
The new strategy as an umbrella
document
The review process identified that the new strategy should be an umbrella document to
guide work across Council to deliver improved environmental outcomes. The strategy will
not be a detailed action plan for any specific aspect of environmental management, but
rather, will set strategic directions and objectives and policy for key environmental themes to
guide the development of individual strategies and actions plans in a consistent manner.
Some high level actions may also be included in the new strategy, particularly where they
may have been recently identified in other plans related to environmental management (for
example, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council Waste Management Strategy 2015 – 2020
adopted by Council in December 2014).
This intent can be represented diagrammatically below, where the strategic directions and
objectives and policy statements for each theme addressed in the new environment strategy
relate to the one defined vision for environmental outcomes across the Shire.
Vision
Strategic
Directions
Objectives
key policy
statements
high level
actions
Figure 1: A line-of-sight for the new environment strategy.
The new strategy in a broader
planning context of Council
The role of the new environment strategy as an umbrella document reflects a reference
point for Council, namely it’s “wheel of strategies”, where the environment strategy is
recognised as a “plan with a broader focus” that informs and guides “plans with a more
specific focus” like the Waste Management Strategy. In turn, plans with a more specific
focus may be supported by detailed action plans. An example of the increasing level of
detail in different levels of plans is shown below:
7
SCOPE OF PLAN
High-level strategy
Theme-specific strategy
Action Plan
includes vision, strategic
directions and objectives
include objectives and
targets, and specific policy
statements
include detailed actions to
inform annual workplans or
contracts
include detailed actions, with
indicative timeframes and
resource requirements for
implementation
include costings and
methods for implementation
includes key policy
statements
includes high level actions
(possibly with indicative
timeframes and resource
requirements for
implementation)
include monitoring and
evaluation criteria and / or
success indicators
include monitoring and
evaluation criteria and
possibly reporting
frameworks
EXAMPLE OF HEIRARCHY (HYPOTHETICAL)
Environment Strategy
Biodiversity Strategy
Environmental Management
Plans for (individual)
Bushland Reserves ( may
translate to details in works
specifications or contracts)
Weed and Pest Animal
Strategy
Roadside Management Plan
The new environment strategy will also build on and extend from the Council Plan 20132017, and Council’s vision:
“We aspire to provide leadership in this inspiring region by providing the opportunity for all to
live a fulfilling life, while continuing to protect our heritage, environment and sense of
community through our shared commitment to a sustainable Macedon Ranges”.
One of its key aims is to outline how a goal of the Council Plan, namely Our environment
and landscape is protected and sustained, and its corresponding objectives listed below will
be achieved:.

To protect the natural diversity and uniqueness of the landscape and wildlife

To ensure responsible management of our natural environment

To plan for, and adapt to, climate change
Additionally, the new environment strategy will aim to inform the development of future
versions of the Council Plan.
What will the new environment
strategy do?
The review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy led to the following recommendations
regarding the purpose of the new environment strategy:
The new strategy will be:
-
An educational document (in the process of its development)
A resource plan – to inform budget bids and grants bids
A guide for sustaining our natural environment
8
The new strategy will:
- Remain a live document, relevant and adaptable into the future
- Promote Council’s ethos and direct the Council Plan
- State the environmental outcomes we want to achieve for the Shire
Developing the new environment
strategy
Opportunities and Limitations
The review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy provided direction for the new
environment strategy to have a different pitch and different format than previous strategies.
This provides the opportunity for Council to more clearly state its intentions for
environmental outcomes, and to address policy gaps for key environmental themes, rather
than try to address all aspects of environmental planning and management in one extensive
document. The scope of the new strategy will therefore need to be well contained.
The development of a new environment strategy is a key commitment in the 2015-2016
Council Plan, with the new strategy to be adopted in June 2016. The timeframe adequately
allows for stakeholder and public consultation and for relevant information to be collated and
interpreted for the new strategy, ultimately to provide a clearer direction for future work in
environmental planning and management in the foreseeable future.
The preferred approach
The process and timelines for developing the new environment strategy in 2015-2016 is
illustrated in Figure 2. It follows some preparatory work undertaken in early 2015, to draw
together relevant information and plan for the development of the strategy.
The review of the 2009 Natural Environment Strategy identified the preferred audience for
the new strategy as council staff, key stakeholders (including federal and state government,
regional networks of local councils, and private enterprise), and the wider community. To
ensure understanding and ownership of the new strategy by the target audience, there will
be targeted conversations with key stakeholders and community groups, and a broad range
of communications with residents. As illustrated in Figure 2, there will be two consultation
phases throughout the development of the strategy.
9
consultation
phase 1
strategy
writing phase
public
exhibition /
consultation
phase 2
strategy
finalisation
phase
• To create understanding and ownership of project amongst council and
community
• To engage with key stakeholders (EG: Health and Wellbeing C'tee, local
environment groups, state govt depts, neifghbor coucnils)
• To inform directions and objectives to include in the new strategy via a
series of targetted conversations and surveys
• To compile information from research and consultation phases into a
draft strategy
• To conduct a peer review of draft strategy and supporting background
document(s) if required
• To obtain council endorsement of draft strategy
• To encourage community feedback (and community ownership) on draft
strategy, via a community survey
• NOTE: public exhibition from 16th February to 18th March 2016
• To address community feedback and (where feasible) incorporate into
strategy, ensuring ownership of final strategy by council and community
• To complete and adopt the strategy
July – August
2015
September October November
2015
December
2015 – March
2016
April – June
2016
Figure 2: Key project phases with objectives and timeframes for development of a
new environment strategy
10
Context for the new environment
strategy - environmental profile
Landscape and Climate
Macedon Ranges Shire Council covers an area of approximately 1,750 square kilometres
located midway between Melbourne and Bendigo. The Shire is divided almost equally in
half by the Great Dividing Range, which separates catchments draining to Port Philip Bay
from catchments draining to the Murray River. The landscape is diverse with volcanic
eruption points at Hanging Rock, Bald Hill and Mt Bullengarook, native forest on slopes of
the main range, and flat volcanic plains around Gisborne and Lancefield.
The climate of the Macedon Ranges region is recognised as cool temperate, with Mt
Macedon and Woodend being cooler and wetter than the rest of the Shire, reflecting their
location on top of the range and amongst forested landscapes. Average temperatures vary
at different locations across the Shire, generally ranging from 12oC to 28oC in summer, and
2oC to 12oC in winter. Rainfall also varies across the shire, with data from the Bureau of
Meteorology showing rainfall totals for the three years from 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2015 as
between 1600mm and 2400mm across most of the Shire, with higher falls of between
2400mm and 3600mm around Mt Macedon and Woodend (sourced from
http://www.bom.gov.au).
Geology and Soils
While the underlying geology of an area generally determines soils and their inherent
fertility, other natural factors like landform, climate, rainfall, and distribution of native
vegetation and different ecosystems also need to be considered to fully understand the
natural attributes of an area in a holistic way. CSIRO scientists first developed the concept
of land systems, as a means of integrating these ecological factors into descriptors, in the
1940s. However, more detailed studies in the 1950s and early 1960s led to the description
of land systems still used today. It is outside the scope of this paper to explain the
complexity and meanings of the land systems classifications and categorisations across the
Shire, especially as several tables of explanatory notes for the codes used in land system
classifications and categorisations would need to be included. In general terms, it is more
meaningful to describe the geology and soils of an area as its geomorphology, effectively its
surface landforms. The geomorphology for the Shire is briefly described below, and shown
in Figure 3.
The most widespread geology of the Shire is volcanic in origin, with volcanic features and
rich soils overlying a much older and weathered sedimentary base across much of the
Shire. Mt Macedon itself is a six million year old dormant volcano, and in geological terms,
Hanging Rock and Camel’s Hump are mamelons, created by stiff magma pouring from
vents of volcanoes.
The richest soils in the Shire are relatively young basalt ferrosols derived from the
Quaternary Period (1.8 million years old to present), around Kyneton and Carlsruhe in the
northwest, and in a band running north-south from east of Gisborne to Romsey to
Lancefield. Smaller areas of basalt ferrosols also exist north of Baynton and south of
Bullengarook. Although these deep dark red soils are inherently fertile and well structured,
and typically have low susceptibility to erosion, they may contain reactive clays that shrink
and swell with varying moisture contents.
11
The deep and fertile brown soils around Baynton, Sidonia, and Pastoria, across towards
Pipers Creek and Bald Hill are derived from the Devonian Period (410 to 360 million years
old). The topsoils and subsoils of these granite kurosols tend to gradually blend into each
other, having a loamy structure with aggregates of mixed sizes, and are considered to have
good fertility.
The sedimentary dermosols around Mt Macedon and in the east of the Shire around
Springfield and north of Darraweit Guim are only partly influenced by volcanic activity.
These red friable soils are considered to have average fertility, with relatively low
susceptibility to erosion.
In the central and south-western portion of the Shire around Woodend, Ashbourne,
Bullengarook and Macedon, the soils are derived from marine sedimentary rocks of the
Ordovician period (505 to 440 million years old), and not overlaid with volcanic soils. These
sedimentary kurosols have a mixed profile, with silts, sands and gravels overlying clay
which grades into less weathered parent rock. They tend to be lower in fertility, and
dispersive in nature, making them prone to erosion. A band of these soils also exist running
north from Riddles Creek to Rochford and Cobaw.
Other generalised classifications of geomorphology less represented in the Shire include
the relatively shallow alluvium sodosols just north of Lancefield, with a strong contrast
between the subsoil and river-deposited topsoil, and the younger and not-so-well formed
basalt rudosols in the very south east of the Shire.
12
Figure 3: (General) Geomorphology of the Shire (sourced from VicMaps dataset 2001).
13
River catchments in the Shire
The shire is uniquely located with a main range running through its centre, providing the
headwaters of five rivers, as shown in Figure 4 below. The headwaters of the 240 km long
Campaspe River, including Five Mile Creek and Pipers Creek, flow north of the range. The
Campaspe River meets the Coliban River at Lake Eppalock before flowing north to the
Murray River. In the north west of the Shire, several headwaters of the Coliban River flow
into the storages of Upper Coliban, Lauriston and Malmsbury. A small area in the north east
of the shire contains the headwaters of the Goulburn River.
South of the range, the headwaters of Deep Creek and Jackson’s Creek commence their
flow towards the Maribyrnong River, with the water storage of Rosslynne Reservoir located
in the upper parts of Jackson’s Creek. The very southern part of the shire forms the upper
part of the Werribee River catchment.
Across the Shire there is a total of 25 Proclaimed Potable Water catchments hosting
reservoirs to supply water to households, townships and farms. These are mostly managed
by water authorities: Coliban Water (north) and Western Water (south), with Melbourne
Water also having some responsibility for water supply south of the dividing range. The
proclaimed catchments have some statutory protection through the Macedon Ranges
Planning Scheme, through Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) 4 (Eppalock) and
ESO 6 (other proclaimed catchments), aiming to minimise adverse impacts associated with
development within the catchments on water quality.
Further information about the shire’s catchments and their management is provided in the
fact sheet on Catchment Management.
Native Vegetation
A wide range of Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) remains across the Shire, in varying
extent and condition. The lower lying and less sloped areas have largely been cleared for
agricultural and semi-rural or urban development, so any remaining vegetation is typically
fragmented and disturbed, or located on higher ground. The ranges and foothills and some
areas along waterways still support stands of high quality native vegetation. The variety of
vegetation reflects landform, aspect, climate, rainfall, geology and soil type, with denser
forest in wetter more fertile areas, and open woodlands in drier areas. While a large
proportion of the existing native vegetation is on public land, it is also represented on private
land, and efforts to restore and extend native vegetation continue through projects and
works of various organisations and through individual action.
The extent and condition of native vegetation is a key influence on the status of a wide
range of fauna, including mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. The Shire supports
vegetation that could potentially host many fauna species, but the actual existence of
species depends on a complex interaction of a range of factors. For example, the presence
of dense forests and woodlands at higher altitudes suggest that the Spot-tailed Quoll could
inhabit the shire, but the last recorded sighting was in 1991.
14
Figure 4 illustrates vegetation cover across the Shire in terms of tree density. Further
information about native vegetation and native wildlife is provided in the fact sheet on
Biodiversity.
Land Use
Land use across the Shire is determined by a combination of geomorphology, soils,
topography, rainfall, waterways and water availability, historical land use, demand for a
variety of lifestyles, and market forces.
Early land use in the Shire was mostly for cropping and grazing (cattle and sheep, for meat
and wool), and some small areas of dairying. Some potato farming occurred on the deeper
soils around Tylden and Romsey. While a large proportion of the agricultural land in the
shire still involves grazing, more recent development of agricultural land in the Shire
includes viticulture and businesses related to the equine industry and tourism. Timber
harvesting occurred in the Wombat, Cobaw and Macedon Ranges forests, but has now
ceased, with a large area of the forest now incorporated into the Macedon Regional Park
and Lerdederg State Park. Figure 5 shows land use across the shire at an aggregated
level.
Council has limited ability to influence management practices undertaken by private land
holders across the various land uses, but works to promote sustainable land management,
and to support programs for sustainable land management undertaken by other
organisations, on private land. This work is explained in more detail in the fact sheets on
Biodiversity and Integrated Catchment Management.
15
Figure 4: Waterways, river catchments, and tree cover across the shire (based on 2001
data).
16
Figure 5: (General) Land use across the Shire (based on property valuation data
June 2015)
17
Context for a new environment
strategy – social profile
The traditional owners of the Shire are the Wurundjeri people and Dja Dja Wurrung people,
with the Wurundjeri occupying land and relying on waterways south of the range, and the
Dja Dja Wurrung inhabiting the area north of the range.
European settlement in the Shire dates back to the 1800s, with Kyneton being the first town
established in the 1840s. Other towns were established in the 1850s, including Gisborne,
Woodend, and Malmsbury on route to the goldfields of Bendigo, and Riddells Creek and
Macedon as settlements near fertile land.
Population and growth estimates
The 2011 census recorded 41,865 persons living in 17,039 dwellings. The majority of
residents were born in Australia (34,743), with 194 of them being of Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander origin. 1,745 people spoke a language other than English at home. Analysis
of population data indicates that the official population of the Shire at June 2014 was
44,715, and expected to grow to 64,654 by 2036. The socio-economic status of the
population is generally high, with 9,469 persons having a tertiary qualification and 14% of
the population earning more than $1,500 / week in 2011 (sourced from
http://profile.id.com.au/macedon-ranges)
The Loddon Mallee South Regional Growth Plan states that the population in the Shire is
projected to grow to an estimated 51,300 people in 2021, and 58,900 people in 2031. The
projections indicate growth will be strongest in Gisborne and Kyneton, alongside some
growth in Riddells Creek and Romsey (State of Victoria, 2014, Loddon Mallee South Regional
Growth Plan, http://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/victorian-regions/loddon-mallee/loddon-mallee-south)
The projected population growth will be due to a range of factors, ranging from young
families settling in the area, people looking for a tree change lifestyle, and peri-urban growth
in the towns of Gisborne and Riddells Creek. The attractive landscapes combined with
relative affordable housing stock with road and rail access south to Melbourne and north to
Bendigo make the Shire an attractive place to live. In contrast to professional people living
in the Shire and commuting to Melbourne, many young people move out of the Shire for
education or employment opportunities.
Community Environment Groups
The municipality is home to many environmentally active residents, working to protect and
enhance the sire’s natural environment and manage land and waterways in a sustainable
manner. There are over 30 active Landcare and “Friends” groups across the Shire, with
over 1,000 residents listed as members of groups at June 2014.
The activities of other community groups like the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group,
Kyneton Transition Hub, Transition Town Riddell and the Trentham Sustainability Group
engage people in reducing the environmental impacts of our everyday lifestyle and to take
action on climate change.
18
Our ecological footprint
The measure of the impact a person has on the environment is called an ecological
footprint, usually expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural
resources. The World Wildlife Fund defines a country’s ecological footprint as the sum of all
the cropland, grazing land, forest and fishing grounds required to produce the food, fibre
and timber it consumes, to absorb the wastes emitted when it uses energy, and to provide
space for infrastructure, in order to support the standards of living for that country. The
current figure for Australia is calculated at 6.25 global ha per person, equating to 3.6
planets. Victoria has a higher than national-average figure, 6.8 global ha per person,
equating to 4 planets, mostly due to its dependence on greenhouse intensive brown coal for
power generation. (see
http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/ecological_footprint/
and http://environmentvictoria.org.au/newsroom/report/one-planet-living#.VQ9u2aO4Z9A
While it needs to be acknowledged that calculating an environmental footprint is dependent
on publicly available data and inevitably involves many variables, the relative consistency in
published figures confirm that our impact on environment is not sustainable. In other words,
we cannot create more planets to continue supporting our current lifestyle. Reducing our
footprint to provide a good quality of life for future generations presents a key challenge.
From an organisational perspective, the impact of its operations can be calculated as its
greenhouse emissions profile, based on all the fuel it consumes to provide goods and
services. A preliminary profile for Council’s operations is provided in the fact sheet on
Climate Change.
Our environmental values (determined
in past survey work)
The amount of data available regarding the broader community’s priority areas for
environmental planning and action is limited. The local government community satisfaction
survey 2014 is focussed on local government services rather than strategic planning to
address environmental or social concerns. A survey conducted in mid 2014 to inform the
development of a Localised Planning Statement provides an indication of the value placed
upon the natural environment by the community. The results below are taken from the
project’s Summary Report – Survey of Community Views, June 2014:

82% of 963 respondents rated “natural recreation tourism and bush land areas” as
very important (and < 2% rated not important or unsure)

73% of 897 respondents rated “native bushland and natural habitat” as very
important

72.7% of 879 respondents rated “nature conservation in the map area” as very
important

32.3 % of 870 respondents rated “agriculture and farming” as very important, and
36.3 % voted “agriculture and farming” as important

79% of 874 respondents rated “water supply assets like reservoirs and creeks” as
very important
19
As indicated in the previous section, the survey information is supported by the existence of
over 30 active Landcare and “Friends” groups across the Shire.
The ideal of ecological
sustainability
It is common practice in local government to develop environmental strategies based on the
philosophical concept of “ecological sustainability” or ecological sustainable development
(ESD), defined as “using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that
ecological processes, on which life depends are maintained and the total quality of life, now
and in the future, can be increased” (http://www.environment.gov.au/aboutus/esd/publications/national-esd-strategy-part1)
The concept of ecological sustainability was expanded in the Macedon Ranges Shire
Council Natural Environment Strategy 2009 – 2012, as six principles:

Conserving our biological diversity

Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources

Intergenerational equity

Socio-cultural and economic wellbeing

Social integrity

Precautionary measures: wherever there are threats of serious or irreversible
environmental damage, lack of certainty should neither be used as a reason for allowing
potentially damaging actions, nor for postponing measures to prevent damage.
While the theory and principles of ecological sustainability have been long promoted and
applied in many formats, the current state of the environment and the ever increasing threat
of climate change and its impacts on biodiversity and natural resources and our lifestyles
suggest that ecological sustainability is easier to talk about than to achieve. The theory and
principles remain valid at the global and local levels, and a challenge for the new
environment strategy will be to continue to strengthen our actions for improved
environmental outcomes.
What’s in / what’s out
A risk in developing the new environment strategy is that it may be expected to be a “the
magic bullet” for all aspects of environmental planning and management. However, the
effectiveness of a strategy will rest more with its rationale and clarity in providing direction
for the development of more detailed strategies and action plans in a coordinated and
cohesive manner. And as the “environment” is an integrated system of many components,
the separation of the many different aspects of environmental planning and management
will be minimised, so that key concerns will be addressed at a holistic level.
Based on this intention, and the timeframe available for developing a new strategy, Council
proposes to address three key areas of environmental concerns in the new environment
strategy:

climate change (mitigation and adaptation)

biodiversity

catchment management (managing land and water together)
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As stated earlier, these topics will initially be addressed in fact sheets, providing general
background information about the environmental themes and some context for addressing
the themes in the new strategy.
Lastly, as Council adopted a Waste Management Strategy in December 2014, the process
of developing a new environment strategy will not address waste.
A VISION for the new
environment strategy
In consideration of Council’s understanding of the community’s priority concerns regarding
environmental matters, the review process recommended a draft vision for the new strategy,
which was presented to and supported by Council in December 2014:
“A place where Council leads by example and works with the community to maximise
improved environmental outcomes in all aspects of life”
Council also recommended that the new environment strategy will be named by the
community, a task which will be incorporated into one of the consultation phases. In the
interim, the working title will be: A new environment strategy for Macedon Ranges Shire,
2015.
Have your say
Throughout the development of the new environment strategy, there will be two key stages
where council will be actively seeking your input, outlined in Figure 2. All information will be
provided on council’s webpage www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/yoursay.
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