What will the precinct do to protect environmental, cultural and heritage values?

Sites of cultural or heritage value have been identified and considered in the planning process. Environmental values such as native vegetation and water corridors are being protected through careful precinct design, buffers and appropriate land uses.

Future development must follow the rules set out in the development plan overlay schedule, which are designed to protect the area’s natural features. This includes:

• Retention and protection of mature trees, including those in existing or future road reserves, with adoption of buffer zones around retained trees to avoid disturbance during construction and after development.
• Development requirements to respect the natural landscape of the Wilsons Hill Bushland Reserve and provide a minimum 50-metre setback to the Dry Creek corridor. This buffer protects waterway health, riparian vegetation, wildlife habitat and the natural form of the creek.
• Using these buffer areas as green links that support wildlife, walking paths and drainage functions.

These protections are required in a development plan before any subdivision or building can be approved.

Parts of the precinct fall within Aboriginal cultural heritage sensitivity areas. These areas are important to Dja Dja Wurrung People. This means a Cultural Heritage Management Plan may be required before development can start. Developers are required to prepare their plans collaboration with DJAARA during the preparation of a Development Plan to identify and respect cultural values.

Some sites in the precinct are on the Victorian Heritage Inventory. These places are protected under the Heritage Act 2017, which is separate from the planning process. This requires developers to obtain consent from Heritage Victoria before any works that could disturb these sites. The planning permit process cannot override the Heritage Act.