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The primary purpose of the High Environmental Values (HEV) map is to ensure impacts to HEV areas are avoided and minimised in all planning decisions.
It guides development planning to reduce future land use conflict and enables the restoration and rehabilitation of biodiversity values in strategic locations.
The HEV map allows interrogation of a single dataset. It identifies environmental criteria and values and reflects current statutory and planning policy.
Areas mapped as HEV have the following known criteria:
The following criteria can also apply to potential HEV:
The HEV map is consistent with the objectives of the NSW Government North Coast Regional Plan (NCRP) 2041.
The Plan notes that the North Coast will need at least 40,000 more homes in the next 20 years. NCRP requires consideration to conserve biodiversity values through ‘avoid, minimise, mitigate and offset’ hierarchy.
Councils are required to:
The map is intended to be used at a property scale.
It can assist planning consultants and developers in identifying lands that contain HEV and to prepare planning proposals. Potential HEV lands will need proponent verification through ecological survey.
All HEV identified should be zoned for Conservation under the Local Environment Plan. Residual impacts to HEV must be offset under the Biodiversity Offset Scheme (BOS), the Development Control Plan (DCP) or another framework as identified.
The HEV Maps can also assist Council in planning decisions, such as:
Verification may be required to assess the presence of HEV within a subject site, particularly when Potential HEV is identified.
Over-cleared and old growth vegetation, koala habitat, threatened species and vegetation communities, and important habitat, identified by the HEV layers, may trigger the need for field verification through ecological survey and further desktop analysis.
Because the mapping is using predominately existing state Government mapping like the Biodiversity Values Maps, these are updated at least a few times per year, updates will be required.
HEV data is updated annually by Port Macquarie Hastings Council.
For the most up-to-date data, please visit the NSW SEED data sharing portal