Council has adopted its 2024-2034 Nature Plan, which will help Council protect and enhance the natural environment in the Yarra Ranges.
Following a two-month consultation period, a number of changes were made from the draft version to the final adopted version, to incorporate in what Council had heard, these included:
- Re-prioritising existing actions from the previous Nature Plan
- Creating new actions in key areas
- Improving accountability through clarifying targets and reporting metrics
- Increasing financial investment to support implementation of activities
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Sophie Todorov, said that Council had set bold targets as part of the plan.
“We have a number of strategic priorities at Council when it comes to our environmental stewardship, and protecting our beautiful Yarra Ranges,” Cr Todorov said.
“We’re unapologetic with some of the ambitious targets we’ve set in this plan, because the biodiversity of the Yarra Ranges is one of our regions great assets.
“A key part of the plan also focuses on our advocacy efforts, to support us in securing funding from other levels of government to assist us in progressing the objectives set out in the plan.
“We also look forward to enhancing our partnerships with our invaluable community groups and other government agencies to support us in reaching our targets.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to view the draft and provide feedback, as it’s been vital in putting together this final plan.”
The major targets featured in the plan include:
- Yarra Ranges achieving a ‘net gain’ in native vegetation cover by 2034
- Triple the amount of restoration and revegetation works on privately owned and council land each year
- Increase the conservation value across our bushland reserves over the next decade
- Enable at least 200 land stewards to improve biodiversity on their land each year
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