Maitland Greening Plan
The Maitland Greening Plan has been developed to provide a strategic framework for future vegetation management in Maitland.
The Plan is a local response to the global issue of vegetation clearance, biodiversity loss, and the range of land degradation issues that result.
The Plan focuses on the vegetation that remains in the Maitland Local Government Area, while also providing a strategy for revegetation works.
Protecting the environment in development
Council has four (4) key focus points for improving biodiversity outcomes when it comes to development.
- As part of development investigations and rezonings, we are working with ecological experts and landowners to identify areas for conservation. This builds upon existing environmentally zoned land and dedicated green space that’s under our care and control.
- We are reviewing the consent conditions in our development application process to make sure the requirements for vegetation management are clear and defensible.
- We are closely reviewing the work on the ground to make suredevelopments follow the consent conditions.
- We are closely reviewing our works to make sure tree removal is kept to a minimum, and there are appropriate offsets put in place if trees need to be removed.
Environmental conservation
As part of the Maitland Local Strategic Planning Statement 2040+, Council actioned and committed to several strategies to build on the Maitland Greening Plan and continue to improve environmental conservation outcomes.
Environmental actions
- Created a new Environment & Sustainability Department within Council and recruited three new positions to support the delivery of our commitments.
- Developed a new and improved tree planting program to help green Maitland’s streets, improve green spaces and contribute to urban cooling. We are also developing new vegetation mapping and strategic advice on our urban vegetation canopy to help prepare an Urban Tree Canopy Plan to enhance our future street tree programs.
- Successfully gained a $300,000 grant to improve the environmental spaces at Weblands Street in Aberglasslyn and Dunmore Road in Largs. This was completed after a community co-design process and on ground works to support passive recreation and investigation of long term opportunities to use these spaces for long term biodiversity conservation.
- Commenced work on the Maitland Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which includes a specific biodiversity theme to guide our work in protecting, conserving and enhancing natural areas.
Environmental commitments
- Preparation of an Environmental Strategy to build on the 2002 Maitland Greening Plan and guide us to protect, conserve and enhance our natural environment in the future
- Protecting and enhancing biodiversity corridors in future planning of greenfield development and investigation areas
- Investigating local blue and green grids, including the network of green spaces such as parks, playing fields and passive recreation spaces, and blue spaces such as wetlands, rivers and creeks, and how these grids can be connected to and improved over time
- Reviewing our current Development Control Plan provisions to enhance ecologically sustainable outcomes for new development, such as requiring approval to clear vegetation and appropriate offsets in many cases.