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Planisphere

Planning and Urban Design

Nillumbik Landscape Character Assessment Update

Review of Bushfire Affected AreasJanuary 2015

L1/160 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Vic 3065 - [email protected] - T 9419 7226

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1 BackgroundThe Shire of Nillumbik have commissioned Planisphere to assess the areas affected by the 2009 bushfires to determine whether the fires have resulted in a change of landscape character identified in the 2009 Landscape Character Assessment.

Planisphere undertook the Landscape Character Assessment for the Shire of Nillumbik in 2008‐2009. On February 7, 2009, Strathewen, St Andrews and Christmas Hills were severely affected by bushfire with significant loss of life and property. Implementation of the study was placed on hold following the bushfires. Council are now seeking implement the study’s recommendations through a Planning Scheme Amendment.

As the assessment of landscape character undertaken for the study predates the bushfires, Council have requested a review of the affected Character Areas to determine whether their character remains as originally assessed in 2008. This review examines the outcomes of the bushfires as related to landscape character; it does not reassess the study findings from the point of view of changes resulting from new bushfire safety regulations.

Study Area

The study area included all Green Wedge Land within the Shire, shown on the map opposite. This includes land outside of the Urban Growth Boundary within the Green Wedge, Rural Conservation, and Low Density Residential Zones. The study also considered the contribution that Green Wedge townships and small rural settlements make to the landscape character of the Green Wedge. Urban residential areas were excluded.

Public Land, including all land within the Public Conservation and Resource, Public Use and Public Park and Recreation Zones, was beyond the scope of recommendations for the study. However, areas of public land were taken into account when assessing the overall character and significance of the landscape.


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2 Bushfire Affected AreasThe bushfire affected areas are shown on the map below. They extend across the northern parts of the Shire, across the Kinglake National Park and into Murrundindi Shire and the City of Whittlesea.

Within the study area, two Character Areas were affected:

Character Area 2: Rolling Valleys

Character Area 4: Bushy Slopes

While the surrounding Kinglake National Park is not included in the study area, it forms an essential part of the broader context of these two Character Areas.


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3 AssessmentThe key issues arising from the extensive damage wrought by the fires that have potential to impact upon landscape character are:

Loss of vegetation that contributes to the visual landscape character

Environmental damage that may affect visual landscape character

Changes to existing and future built form and site planning

Fundamental impact upon the identified key landscape character attributes of each Character Area.

The impact of these issues upon landscape character has been assessed for both Character Areas.

Community Environmental Recovery Action Plans (CERAPs) have been prepared for each bushfire affected area. The focus of these plans is to manage restoration of the natural environment, agricultural activities and the communities. The work that is underway through these plans is evident throughout the affected areas, and they appear to be making a strong recovery.

Loss Of Vegetation

The heavy vegetation cover of the affected Character Areas (CAs) is a significant aspect of their identified landscape character.

The 2009 report notes as key attributes of both CA2 ‘Rolling Valleys’ the dominance of native vegetation and views to the forested ranges. Key attributes of CA4 ‘Bushy Slopes’ are noted as the strong presence of native bushland vegetation and tall trees, and buildings that blend into the bushland setting. Loss or degradation of native vegetation and tall trees is noted as a threat to landscape character of both areas.

The 2015 site survey shows that vegetation has regenerated strongly throughout the affected areas. While scarred and blackened tree trunks are still evident, in most locations regrowth is dominating the landscape. This includes established trees that were not destroyed by the fire and are in the process of self‐regenerating, as well as heavy growth of saplings and undergrowth. In all affected areas the landscape appears green and lush, and the intrinsic character of these areas of their dense native vegetation cover is clearly in the process of being restored.


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Environmental Damage

Environmental damage wrought by the fires in terms of fundamental changes to EVCs and erosion will impact upon visual landscape character.

Council’s biodiversity officer has provided the following assessment of the environmental damage of the fires and subsequent recovery:

Ecological Vegetation Classes within the Strathewen, St Andrews and Christmas Hills areas experienced significant modification due to the intensity and severity of the fires followed by the flooding rains and erosion that occurred not long after the fires.

However, the effects of the Black Saturday fires varied across and within properties according to the fire intensity and topography of the site. A number of the ridges are still far less vegetated than they were prior to the fires as they burnt at a very high intensity and were subject to erosion. This erosion carried many seeds, tubers and rootstocks of plants into the gullies. In comparison, the gullies and sheltered slopes recovered fastest and showed extensive regrowth from seeds and sprouting. Although this difference was observed, even the most denuded ground has shown some regeneration and demonstrated that it will recover over time, albeit slower than the lower slopes and gullies.

The Ecological Vegetation Classes are still very easy to define and, although they have been modified and are slightly less diverse, a number of typical species to those EVCs still remain. Grassy Dry Forest still occupies the drier slopes and ridges with Herb‐rich Foothill Forest occupying the eastern and southerly aspects on lower slopes and in


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gullies, Valley Grassy Forest on fertile welldrained colluvial or alluvial soils on gently undulating lower slopes and valley floors, Damp Forest on higher elevations and Wet Forest in protected gullies adjacent to Kinglake National Park.

Recovery has been remarkable with some areas demonstrating a high level of recruitment, growth and flowering. In addition, the fires have benefited some significant flora species which have recruited vigorously after the fires. However, in some areas, dense regrowth of wattles and eucalypts have established, becoming the dominate cover. The succession of this vegetation over time will be interesting to observe and, depending on what seed is remaining in the soil, we expect the diversity of these sites to increase over time.

The threat of proliferation of feral animals and weeds is also been carefully managed and closely monitored by Council and community in the recovery process.


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Changes To Built Form And Site Planning

The 2009 report notes that within both CAs, buildings and structures are minor visual elements within the landscape and that they are sited and designed to blend in with the natural environment.

With the extensive damage to property throughout the affected Character Areas, much rebuilding has occurred and many well‐established buildings were lost. This has resulted in changes to the built form character and appearance of both Character Areas.

The planning and building regulations introduced in response to the bushfires, through the requirements of the Victorian Building Regulations and the Bushfire Management Overlay, have resulted in changes to the required approach to building siting, form, detailing and materials selection. Additionally, CFA permit conditions require a greater area cleared of vegetation as defensible space around dwellings. These changes in the approach to building design and landscaping have the potential to result in buildings that are more visually dominant in the landscape.

Council’s statutory planning department has noted that:

The majority of the bushfire consent applications are to rebuild in the same location as the building that was lost with only a few people wanting to relocate elsewhere on the property (usually at the top of a hill).

The siting of some of the dwellings is also influenced by the BAL (bushfire attack level) that is calculated for the proposed location of the dwelling. If the BAL was 40 or above then it was recommended that they seek another location to lower the BAL level and therefore their bushfire risk.


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Initially the buildings were very visible and often larger than those before (more in footprint than height), but now that the vegetation has started to regenerate it is starting to resemble what it was like pre‐fires (this is true of the larger blocks more than the smaller blocks).

On the larger blocks the buildings are starting to disappear behind vegetation located along boundaries and within paddocks – there is however significantly less vegetation around the dwellings than there was before. On the smaller blocks the dwellings are more prominent than they were before due to more vegetation clearance.

In regard to the properties affected by the BMO there have been changes in design and materials used to meet the appropriate BAL requirements and the vegetation requirements necessary to meet the CFA conditions on permits.

The 2009 report noted that: siting buildings on prominent highly vegetated slopes can also be problematic, as fire protection requirements may require clearance of an extensive area around the building. This may completely change the vegetated character of the hillslope. Generally it is best to cluster buildings and structures in open landscapes, and to disperse buildings in hilly and well‐treed areas.

The 2015 survey shows that there are evident changes to the built form character within both CAs. However, the overall landscape character attributes of each CA of buildings appearing generally recessive to the vegetation and topography is considered to be retained, or will be achieved once vegetation has regrown.

While the bushfire regulations require higher construction standards and in some instances may result in buildings have a sturdier or ‘bunker‐like’ appearance, generally new buildings observed have shown a high standard of design and a suitable character for the rural landscape.

Reconstructed buildings are mostly being sited in their original location and while there is less vegetation immediately surrounding buildings, vegetation retained or planted beyond the defensible space in most instances is providing an acceptable screen to built form. This will only improve over time.

A range of materials are being used in construction, including brick, concrete slabs and blocks, mudbrick, corrugated iron and treated timber. A variety of building forms are also evident. While some buildings have a more robust appearance than was previously observed in the 2008 survey, the different design and construction techniques used to implement the bushfire regulations has not had a significant impact upon the relationship of built form to the overall landscape character of these areas. Rebuilt masonry buildings that have a ‘heavyset’ appearance are not an issue arising from the bushfire regulations, rather relate to general design management issues that existed in the Shire prior to the fires.

Several new buildings are demonstrating an exemplary standard of contemporary design, well suited to their rural location, such as the Strathewan Public Hall, image below.


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Impact Upon Key Landscape Character Attributes

The bushfire affected areas have been assessed to determine whether the impact of the bushfire has changed the key attributes of their landscape character or sites/areas of significance within the affected areas.

The Character Area Analysis Papers of the affected areas are included in the Appendix for reference.

Character Area 2: Rolling Valleys

Key attributes noted in 2009 assessment:

Scenic rural landscape with rolling topography, interspersed with agricultural/ horticultural land uses.

Views to the backdrop of the Kinglake National Park

Visual dominance of forested ranges

Buildings and structures are generally minor parts of the landscape

Dominant areas of native vegetation, particularly at roadsides and along creek corridors

Orchards/ Vineyards are common throughout

Overall sense of isolation

The key attributes of CA2, being the scenic rural countryside spread across rolling hills and valleys, with the backdrop of the distant ranges and the Kinglake National Park, remain unchanged within the fire affected areas. While the heavy vegetation cover has


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been significantly reduced, the process of regeneration is clear, and the area’s character remains strongly defined by its native vegetation cover.

Despite some of the new buildings being more visible within the landscape than before the fires, they do not detract from the strongly rural character. Narrow roadways wind around the landscape and the area merges seamlessly with the National Park at its northern edge. The area’s overall sense of isolation is still a defining element of its character: this is a beautiful rural landscape which is clearly in the process of recovery.


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Character Area 4: Bushy Slopes

Key attributes noted in 2009 assessment:

Scenic landscape with a strong presence of native bushland vegetation and tall trees

Buildings respond to and blend into the surrounding bushland setting

Undulating/ sloping topography

Occasional patches of cleared land capture views of the Kinglake National Park and surrounding mountain ranges

Sense of spaciousness

Unsealed secondary road network

Occasional vineyards/ olive groves


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The key attributes of CA4 also remain unchanged. The landscape is dense with native vegetation across the hilly topography, which is steeply sloping in some parts. Within the fire affected areas buildings appear recessive to the landscape as a result. Touring through this area along its narrow and often unsealed roads, the sense of isolation remains strong, and the Kinglake National Park along its northern boundary is a defining element. Despite the devastating impact of the fires, this part of CA2 retains its ‘quintessentially Nillumbik’ character, as described following the site survey conducted in 2008.


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4 RecommendationsThe 2015 survey of the bushfire affected areas has shown that the description of the landscapes of CA2 and CA4 and the objectives and directions for their future management as defined following the site survey conducted in 2008 are considered to be essentially unchanged post the 2009 bushfires.

While the devastation of the bushfires has changed aspects of these landscapes, the key elements of topography, dominant native vegetation cover, a sense of isolation and strong rural character – with development appearing recessive to the natural landscape ‐ are retained.

In conclusion, it is recommended that Council continues to monitor the impact of development within the bushfire affected as it relates to landscape character to ensure that these essential aspects of identified landscape character remain unchanged.


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