Berwick’s trees are a distinctive feature of the village.
By Elizabeth Hart
Casey Council has adopted planning amendment C112, which with ministerial approval will make permanent a significant landscape overlay for most of the northern part of the village from Cardinia Street to Lyall Road.
But under the amendment, some streets are excluded from the protection. They are Howell Drive, Valda Close, Ridge Road, Clover Close, Mary Court, Beavis Court, and other adjacent properties facing Manuka Road. Trees on the eastern side of Manuka Road are protected, as are trees in Brisbane Street, Miller Street, Linton Court, and Burr Hill Court.
Brisbane Street east lacked sufficient mature landscape to warrant inclusion in the overlay, the panel that considered submissions to the amendment proposal found.
Over time, as the trees there matured to an extent that they represented a significant landscape, an amendment to the boundaries could occur, last week’s Casey council meeting heard.
Council officers had no objection to the exclusion.
The overlay applies to private and public land. Council inspections have shown that although often less visible from the street, large canopy trees on private properties contribute to the landscape character of Berwick.
Council received nine submissions during the formal exhibition period in October and November last year.
Panel chairman Bill Sibonis found that multi dwelling developments were emerging as the principal threat to the landscape character of the area. He had some reservations about the impact of exempt developments and recommended the council monitor building proposals outside the scope of the overlay, with an eye to further amendments to introduce additional permit triggers if necessary.
A confidential report on the Berwick Township Landscape Strategy 2007 found other threats to the township’s character included buildings dominating the landscape, high front fences blocking views, subdivision and overdevelopment of blocks, removal of vegetation, including moonscaping, loss of garden space, and loss of sense of openness on blocks. Council considered that report at its 15 April meeting in 2008 and subsequently asked the minister to approve an interim significant landscape overlay. Amendment C112 makes permanent that overlay.
Under the restrictions, landowners need a permit to lop any tree with a circumference greater than half a metre at one metre above ground, to construct a front fence, and to build within five metres of the drip line of any tree with a circumference of more than half a metre.
The significant landscape overlay contains three other objectives: to ensure that buildings do not dominate the treed landscape, to ensure developments are sympathetic to the natural characteristics of the area, and to ensure opportunities for additional tree planting.
The panel found that lots without front fences were most sympathetic to the landscape. Solid construction fences detracted from the landscape and inhibited views, hence the permit requirement.
The permanent adoption of the Berwick significant landscape overlay is the first stage of a series of neighbourhood character controls across the municipality. To follow will be controls over Tooradin and other coastal villages and then identification of character precincts across the municipality.
