Planning Scheme Amendments - C107 Giant Gippsland Earthworm Habitat Overlay

Amendment C107 has now been approved and is in the South Gippsland Planning Scheme.

 

Planning Scheme Amendment C107 identifies Giant Gippsland Earthworm (GGE) habitat within South Gippsland Shire, providing protection to the remaining colonies and informing development proposals.

 

The Amendment introduces a new Environmental Significance Overlay 9 (ESO9) Giant Gippsland Earthworm and Habitat Protection which maps likely GGE sites for use when considering development in these areas. 

 

The exhibition period for this amendment closed on Monday 23 November 2015.

 

The ESO9 mapping has been prepared in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) and continues the successful protection work of the ESO4 to the Baw Baw Planning Scheme in 2012.

 

 

Introduction

 

 

Many landowners are unaware of the significant penalties that apply from legal protection if GGE are harmed. The GGE is protected by State and Federal law, most significantly the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This Act requires approval from the Federal Government Minister for the Environment for any proposed development that may impact the GGE or its habitat. This existing requirement is independent of the South Gippsland Planning Scheme and Amendment C107.

 

 

 

There is currently no means to identify when proposed works could impact the GGE or its habitat in the South Gippsland Planning Scheme. As a result, past developments have accidently harmed remaining GGE colonies and caused costly delays. The ESo9 tries to avoid these damaging results by showing where existence of the GGE is likely prior to buildings and works commencing.

The GGE is only found in an approximate area of 400 square kilometres, roughly located between Loch, Korumburra and Warragul.  The maps and land in the overlay typically relate to wet soils and may already be protected by waterways legislation.

 

 

 

Exhibition Documents

 

The proposed ESO9 maps below correspond to the Planning Scheme maps that you can find at South Gippsland Planning Scheme Online, under the 'Maps' tab. 

 

 

 

Some maps contains townships and others show the larger rural areas surrounding the towns. Areas that are listed twice are the overlaps between maps.

 

You can zoom in on each map for more detail. 

Towns or Areas	Planning Scheme Map #
Bena, Jeetho, Loch, Nyora, Poowong, Poowong North	1 ESO9
Nyora	2 ESO9
Poowong	3 ESO9
Loch	4 ESO9
Bena	5 ESO9
Arawata, Fairbank, Kardella, Korumburra, Loch, Mount Eccles, Mountain View, Poowong, Poowong East, Poowong North, Ranceby, Strzelecki, Trida, Wild Dog Valley	6 ESO9
Hallston, Leongatha North, Mount Eccles, Trida, Wild Dog, Wooreen Valley	7 ESO9
Bena, Jeetho, Jumbunna, Kongwak, Korumburra, Moyarra, Outtrim, Whitelaw	10 ESO9
Jumbunna, Korumburra	11 ESO9
Kongwak	12 ESO9
Fairbank, Kardella, Kardella South, Korumburra, Korumburra South, Leongatha, Leongatha North, Ruby	13 ESO9
Korumburra, Korumburra South	14 ESO9
Kardella	15 ESO9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Official Amendment Exhibition Documents:

• C107 Frequently Asked Questions / Information Flyer

• Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO9): “Protection of Giant Gippsland Earthworm and Habitat Areas”,

• Explanatory Report (Technical Document). This explains how Amendment C107 addresses the requirements of the planning system,

• Local Planning Policy Changes clause 21.06 Environmental and Landscape Values,

• Local Planning Policy Changes clause 21.16 Reference Documents, recognises the “Giant Gippsland Earthworm Environmental Significance Overlay Reference Document (Sept 2015)”

• Clause 66.04 Referral of permit applications under local provisions (Technical Document)
  

• Insert new ESO9 Planning Maps, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 (see corresponding Maps (above)

• Notice of Preparation of Amendment. This is the official public notice of Amendment C107

• Instruction Sheet (Technical Document), identifies all proposed changes to the Planning Scheme

The Amendment can also be viewed at Amendments Online by scrolling down to view Amendment C107.

• Baw Baw Shire Council Planning Scheme Amendment C81. This amendment was adopted in 2012 and works closely with this proposed Amendment

• Giant Gippsland Earthworm information. Practical information about the earthworm that informs this project

• Channel 10 Episode of Totally Wild (Season 22, Ep 104. Airing date: Sat 20 Dec 2014) in which an earthworm is carefully investigated. The relevant section runs from 16:49 to 21:32 (4m43s).

• Action Statement No. 77 Giant Gippsland Earthworm from the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988

• Museum Victoria - Giant Gippsland Earthworm

• Dept of Environment Threatened Species Information Sheet

The period to make submissions for this amendment closed on Monday 23 November 2015.

Submissions are public documents and names and addresses will be displayed.

The planning authority must make a copy of every submission available at its office for any person to inspect free of charge until two months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

 

More Information

 

Further Amendment enquiries should be directed to Council on 5662 9200 or email council@southgippsland.vic.gov.au.