January 9th, 2024Biodiversity informs township planning

The Hepburn Shire Council says biodiversity assessments have been conducted to inform township structure plans for its five main towns as part of the ‘Future Hepburn’ program.  

Ecological consultants, Practical Ecology, gathered existing and surveyed new ecological information over several months in 2023.

The work has already been used in community reference group workshops and will be available online as the council enters the community feedback period for the draft Strategic Plans (planned for March 2024).

 The reports have wider and ongoing value for informing the council’s conservation planning. 

The Future Hepburn project aims to improve the shire’s livability as well as understanding, protecting and enhancing the values and character of the whole shire, including townships and rural areas.

The above image shows current and potential wildlife corridors through the Trentham – an example of the assessment outputs, the council says.