EAST GIPPSLAND PLANNING SCHEME

21.02 MUNICIPAL PROFILE 29/07/2010 C68 21.02-1 Location 19/01/2006 VC37 East Gippsland Shire is located in the far eastern corner of Victoria, between 280 and 550 kilometres from Melbourne. It covers 21,051 square kilometres and is the second largest municipality in the State. It is composed of the areas of the former Shires of Orbost, Tambo, Bairnsdale and Omeo and the City of Bairnsdale, as well as part of the former Shire of Rosedale. The main towns of the Shire are Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Orbost, Paynesville, Omeo and Mallacoota. Bairnsdale has the largest population and is also the regional retail and service centre. There are approximately 10 smaller towns and a large number of rural settlements or localities generally centred on community and sporting facilities.

21.02-2 Regional context 19/01/2006 VC37 East Gippsland adjoins five other municipalities: Alpine, Towong and Wellington Shires in Victoria; and Bombala and Bega Valley Shires in New South Wales.

TOWONG SHIRE BOMBALA SHIRE ALPINE SHIRE

BEGA VALLEY SHIRE EAST GIPPSLAND SHIRE

WELLINGTON BAW BAW SHIRE SHIRE

LA TROBE SHIRE BASS COAST SHIRE SOUTH GIPPSLAND SHIRE

REGIONAL CONTEXT

Planning, land use and resource management issues in East Gippsland Shire that have regional, State or national significance include:

Transport corridors

The Princes Highway, a key national transport artery, traverses East Gippsland from west to east. The major north-south route is the Monaro Highway link to Canberra, but the Omeo Highway and the Bonang Road are also important interstate connections. In addition, East Gippsland and Alpine Shires share the Great Alpine Road through the Victorian high country.

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Energy

The Bass Strait oil and gas fields lie off the coast of East Gippsland, although the resources are brought ashore for processing at Longford in the adjoining Wellington Shire. In 1999- 2000, a major trunk pipeline, the Eastern Gas Pipeline, is to be constructed through East Gippsland to link the Victorian natural gas supply system with that of New South Wales. This will provide the opportunity to connect many of the households in East Gippsland – in the Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Lakes Entrance and Orbost districts – to reticulated natural gas. The Kipper oil and gas fields, off Orbost, also have the potential for development within the next 20 years.

Coasts & port facilities

East Gippsland Shire contains the only readily accessible port between Corner Inlet and Eden, at Lakes Entrance. This port is home to a large and commercially significant fishing fleet, which supplies a substantial proportion of the fresh fish for the Melbourne market. There is also a commercial abalone industry based at Mallacoota. Potential exists for expansion of access to off-shore recreational and sports fisheries through both Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota, providing appropriate infrastructure can be maintained or provided.

Timber harvesting/processing

Some timber resources from State Forests in the Tambo Forest Management Area are currently transported out of East Gippsland Shire for processing. Some residual timber from forests in East Gippsland Forest Management Area is also processed in locations outside the Shire, including the New South Wales South Coast. Substantial potential exists for value-adding to timber resources in the Shire.

National Parks & conservation areas.

The Shire contains major National Parks that are contiguous with parks or conservation areas outside its boundaries. These include: the Alpine National Park, which extends into Wellington and Alpine Shires and beyond; Coopracambra National Park, which adjoins the new South East Forests National Park in New South Wales; the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park; and Croajingolong National Park which links to Nadgee Nature Reserve in NSW to protect a major tract of coastal wilderness.

Catchment management

Catchment management issues – particularly erosion and nutrient inputs – in the Lake Wellington catchment of the Gippsland Lakes (in Wellington Shire) have the potential to impact significantly on water quality in the eastern part of the Lakes system. On the north of the Divide, East Gippsland Shire is responsible for the upper reaches of the Mitta Mitta River and several smaller streams flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin. The potential for additional water from the Mitchell River to be harvested for expansion of irrigation within the Shire is currently under investigation.

Sub-Alpine areas

The creation of the new airport at Horsehair Plain, east of Dinner Plain in Alpine Shire, together with the recent sealing of the Great Alpine Road will lead to new opportunities for development of year-round tourist services and facilities in the sub-alpine area of East Gippsland Shire, focussed on Omeo. Pressures for subdivision and development in the

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adjoining areas will also need to be managed. Substantial increases in visitors to other areas along the Great Alpine Road can be expected as a result of promotion of this major touring route.

21.02-3 Municipal overview 29/07/2010 C68 The Shire is very diverse in terms of climate, landform and vegetation types. It has a long ocean coastline – accessible at only a limited number of points – as well as encompassing a substantial part of the Gippsland Lakes system. It also contains extensive areas of alpine and sub-alpine environments and a number of major river systems. Rainfall varies significantly from up to 2,200 millimetres per year on the Errinundra Plateau, to around 700 millimetres on the coastal plains falling to as low as 500 millimetres in rain shadow areas such as the Snowy River valley, south of the New South Wales border. Almost 75 per cent of the land in the Shire is publicly owned. Private land amounts to around 4,200 square kilometres, covering the Red Gum plains and part of the coastal plains, mountain plateaux and fertile river valleys. Only 64 square kilometres of land is classified as urban. The population of the Shire is approximately 38,000 people, mostly concentrated in the major towns of the south west corner. Outside this area, the pattern of settlement is very dispersed, requiring a extensive network of roads and community facilities in proportion to the size of the population. East Gippsland is an area of spectacular landscapes and vast natural resources, and these constitute a significant tourist attraction. The tourism assets of the Shire include large areas of native forests, extensive river and lakes systems, attractive coastlines and diverse flora and fauna. The Ninety Mile Beach and Gippsland Lakes, in particular, are important tourist attractions and the coastal towns are popular retirement locations. Other remote and semi- remote areas in the Shire are also significant tourist destinations. The development pattern in East Gippsland and the associated transportation network has been dictated largely by the topography of the area. The Princes Highway and the Gippsland Railway (from Melbourne to Bairnsdale) run east-west through the flatter southern portion of the Shire. North-south links to the Princes Highway include the Great Alpine Road, the Gelantipy Road, the Bonang Road and the Monaro Highway. Private land in the Shire is concentrated close to these main routes. The Princes Highway provides an important freight and general transportation link between East Gippsland and Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. Other roads are important in linking local industries and farm enterprises to this central corridor. For planning purposes, four distinct sub-regions have been identified, on the basis of demographic and economic characteristics, topography and accessibility. These sub- regions, shown below and on the Strategic Framework Plan (p.18) are: the Lakes & Coastal area; the Agricultural Hinterland; the Highlands; and the Valleys & Forests area.

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Highland

Valleys & Forests

Agricultural Hinterland

Lakes & Coastal

Lakes & Coastal

The Lakes & Coastal sub-region includes: Bairnsdale, the regional centre; the Gippsland Lakes and the Ninety Mile Beach; the coastal towns of Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers Beach, Marlo, Bemm River and Mallacoota; the lakeside communities of Paynesville, Eagle Point, Newlands Arm, Raymond Island and Metung; and the riverside towns of Nicholson River, Johnsonville, Swan Reach and Nowa Nowa. The sub-region encompasses the Gippsland Lakes and other coastal lakes systems, valuable habitats, major tourist destinations and the most rapidly growing urban areas in the Shire. The area is vulnerable to undesirable environmental impacts from development so a major challenge is to balance development pressures against the need to protect sensitive environments and high landscape values. The effects of climate change is a policy consideration for the sub-region. Potential impacts of climate change include reduced agricultural production due to higher temperatures and rainfall decreases affecting grazing and horticulture; rainfall and evaporation changes affecting the Mitchell, Tambo and Snowy rivers and the water quality of the Gippsland Lakes and wetlands; and threats to marine diversity and estuarine ecosystems due to changes to salinity, sea-level rise and loss of vegetation on the coastal fringe. The issue of sea level rise is an important consideration for coastal communities. It is predicted that sea levels will rise between 0.4 to 0.8 metre by the year 2050 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report: Synthesis Report UNESCO 2007). The Victorian Coastal Strategy (2008) identifies climate change as a significant coastal issue which, over the medium to long term, ‘poses real and serious threats to our coast’. Impacts of climate change that need to be considered in coastal planning include progressive inundation of low-lying areas, increased frequency and severity of storm surge events, and consequential damage to beaches, public infrastructure and private property. The Strategy outlines policy directions to ensure that planning takes account of the risks and impacts associated with a sea level rise of not less than 0.8 metres by 2100. These include the assessment of risks associated with development in vulnerable coastal areas and the application of the precautionary principle in dealing with the long-term effects of sea level rise. In particular, there is a need to consider the avoidance of development in areas that are most at-risk of inundation and/or measures to reduce the risks associated with sea level rise and related impacts.

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While the Victorian Coastal Strategy outlines broad policy directions for dealing with sea level rise, it also acknowledges the need for appropriate mechanisms to support policy and decision-making, for detailed vulnerability assessments to be completed, and, importantly, for the development of a methodology to provide guidance to all planners and managers as to how to consistently apply a policy of planning for sea level rise. The Strategy highlights the need to investigate opportunities within the Victoria Planning Provisions to address climate change risks and impacts and, if necessary investigate the development of new provisions and planning tools to manage coastal climate change risks and impacts. The Gippsland Coastal Board has recently completed a Climate Change Study identifying some of the key factors influencing climate and weather events along the Gippsland coast. The Board has used this knowledge to identify the vulnerability (exposure) and risk (probability of change) for the Gippsland Coast, its geomorphological features and processes, and the associated built and natural assets. The report identifies a range of possible strategies and tools for dealing with climate change and sea level rise. The report recommends that a clear policy direction is required from state and federal governments and notes that: “Local government will therefore need considerable support from the state and federal governments to enable adequate planning and risk management tools to be incorporated into decision making frameworks”. The impacts of climate-induced sea level rise, combined with more severe storm surges is likely to be significant for coastal communities in East Gippsland. The Shire will need to consider adaptive management mechanisms ranging from protection of built and natural assets, to planned retreat of the most seriously threatened communities. The Shire will also need to prioritise the planning and management responses and adaptation strategies to vulnerable areas, such as protect, redesign, rebuild, elevate, relocate and retreat. In the short-term, planning decisions will need to adequately take account of the risks associated with sea level rise in areas of known vulnerability and ensure that these risks are mitigated or avoided where possible. Future planning tools, including possible overlays to manage development in areas subject to sea level rise, will also have to be developed and tested for possible inclusion in the planning scheme, but this needs to be done under the umbrella of further State guidance to ensure consistency of approach and appropriate public involvement in the selection of appropriate planning tools. The Gippsland Coastal Board should continue its work in assessing climate change impacts on the coast in Gippsland and assisting in the development of appropriate planning and management responses together with East Gippsland and Wellington Councils and other government agencies. The Shire will also need to work closely with government agencies to ensure that the appropriate adaptive management and risk management frameworks are in place to assist decision-making and to give effect to the Victorian Coastal Strategy.

Agricultural Hinterland

The Agricultural Hinterland comprises the fertile plains between the mountains and hills to the north and the lakes and coastal areas to the south, including the Mitchell River and Snowy River flats. The area contains the townships of Lindenow, Bruthen, Buchan, Orbost and Cann River. Whilst this area includes high quality agricultural land, the distance from markets and declines in the agricultural commodity prices and in the timber industry are constraints to future prosperity. Establishment of value-adding industries is seen as an opportunity to enhance the viability of existing agricultural, pastoral and timber industry enterprises.

Highlands

The Highlands sub-region is located in the north-western part of the Shire. The land rises from hilly terrain in the south to the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. This area is

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accessed by the Great Alpine Road and includes the townships of Omeo, Swifts Creek, Ensay and Benambra. The primary industries in the area are cattle and sheep grazing and timber production. There is potential for increased tourism in the area, centred around the colourful gold- mining past and the proximity to the snowfields of Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain. Agricultural viability is also an issue in this area and care will need to be taken to ensure that restructuring does not result in adverse effects on either the community or the environment.

Valleys & Forests

The Valleys and Forests area is located in the north-eastern part of the Shire and supports broad tracts of native forest. National Parks in the area, including Errinundra and Snowy River, support rare and interesting flora and fauna and are of exceptional scenic and recreational importance. Townships include Bonang, Bendoc and Club Terrace, as well as a number of smaller rural settlements that provide a focus for nearby farming communities. The main industries are agriculture and forestry, although there is increasing activity in nature-based tourism. Land use opportunities and issues in this area include the expansion of plantation forestry, for both hardwoods and softwoods, the future of agricultural uses and the potential for further development of tourism, to take advantage of the spectacular landscapes, remoteness and variety of flora and fauna. A fuller discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing each of the sub-regions, as well as some of the specific planning issues associated with them, is included below (Clause 21.06).

21.02-4 Population trends & forecasts 29/07/2010 C68 Population

In 2008 the population of East Gippsland Shire was 42,742 (Estimated Resident Population), an increase of 3303 people, or 8.4% since 2001. Population growth in the region over the 7 years from 2001 (1.4% p.a.) was slightly greater than the average rate for country Victoria (1.05%). This is expected to continue to grow linearly over the period to 2026. The population of East Gippsland has a high component of middle-aged and elderly people and this is likely to translate into a larger older population over time. Age groupings (see below) taken at 2006 and projected into 2036 suggest that the largest population increase will be those in the 65+ cohort. Figures are based on enumerated ABS statistics

AGE GROUP % OF TOTAL % OF TOTAL % CHANGE POPULATION POPULATION

2006 2036

0-14 19.2% 13.9% -5.3%

15-24 10.9% 8.4% -2.5%

25-44 22.2% 16.3% -5.9%

45-64 31.2% 25.7% -5.5%

65+ 16.5% 35.7% 19.2% Source: Dept. of Health, Victoria, 2009

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Population Growth Areas

Population growth will continue to be focussed on the Bairnsdale (55.9%) and South West (56.3%) areas of the municipality through the period 2006-2036. The more remote areas will grow slowly, with all the growth represented by the ageing of the population along with significant decreases in children and families.

Income

East Gippsland has low average personal and household incomes, reflecting the high level of retirees and welfare dependency in the region. Median individual income in East Gippsland is 78% of the Victorian income, median household incomes are 64% and median family incomes are 74% of Victorian incomes.

Indigenous

Compared with the State as a whole and many other municipalities, East Gippsland has a high proportion of Aboriginal people with population at 2006 census of 1,140 (2.7% of East Gippsland community, recorded in both the 1996 and 2006 Census). The largest age cohorts are the 5-11 (218) and 35-49 (211) groups.. Household income statistics show 35% of indigenous households as receiving less than $500 per week,

Education

Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in East Gippsland Shire in 2006, compared to Victoria shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a smaller proportion engaged in tertiary level education. Overall, 8.5% of the population were attending primary school, 7.1% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 2.7% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.3%, 6.9% and 6.2% respectively for Victoria. In contrast to gains in student populations in the 1980’s and 1990’s ,changes over the 5 years 2001-2006 show a reduction in overall student populations across all sectors with the exception of small independent schools which have shown student increases

21.02-5 Housing

29/07/2010 C68 Type & structure of dwellings

In 2006, there were 14,487 households who occupied a separate house in the area, while 1,365 occupied a medium density dwelling, and 4 occupied high density flats and apartments. Analysis of the types of dwellings of the households in East Gippsland Shire in 2006 compared to Regional Victoria shows that 69.3% occupied a separate house; 6.5% occupied a medium density dwelling, compared with 74.5% and 8.3%, respectively in Regional Victoria. The largest change in the type of dwellings occupied by households in East Gippsland Shire between 2001 and 2006 were for those occupying a separate house (+1,115 dwellings). There is a relatively high proportion of unoccupied dwellings (21%), due the existence of a large number of holiday houses within the municipality. This is placing upward pressure on local opportunities for housing purchase and rental.

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The age, materials, size and character of dwellings varies significantly between different areas of the Shire and within towns. Bairnsdale, Lindenow, Omeo and Orbost all retain examples of attractive Victorian and Edwardian houses and cottages, which have significant heritage values. Most of the coastal towns have substantial numbers of simple timber or fibro-cement dwellings dating from the 1940s to 1970s, supplemented by larger and more substantial houses built in the past 20 years. The canal estates in Paynesville and some rural-residential style developments close to major towns have attracted investment in high quality new housing. Home ownership rates are high in East Gippsland, with 73.5 per cent of all households in 2006 either owning or buying their own home. Dwelling occupancy rates over the 2001- 2006 period, show the majority of change in household size to be in the single or two person area, in keeping with demographic changes towards an ageing, retired community, especially in the major towns, where medical and care services are centred.

Building Approvals

The number of building approvals is driven by activity in the construction industry and fluctuates from year to year. These fluctuations are the result of the short-term nature of many construction projects, and the cyclical nature of the industry. Building activity depends on many factors — interest rates, availability of mortgage funds, government spending, and business investment — that vary with the state of the economy. Residential building approvals within the East Gippsland shire have shown a gradual rise over the last 15 years, with the exception of a prominent event of growth in the 2003-4 year.

Subdivision

East Gippsland has experienced growth in demand for housing in the major towns situated in the South-West section of the municipality, which is in line with population demographics and predictions.

Building & construction

The 2006 Census recorded a total of 20,909 dwellings in East Gippsland, an increase of 2,294 since 2001. New dwelling construction was concentrated in Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance and Paynesville. Around 400 new dwellings per year will be required to house the forecast population growth in East Gippsland.

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21.02-6 Employment

29/07/2010 C68 The employed workforce in 1996 totalled 13,400 people whilst 2006 census data identifies a workforce total of 14001, Employment is mostly concentrated in Retail (18.1%), Health and Community Services (13.4%) and although the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing comprises 10.2% of the workforce employment this sector dropped by 298 persons over the period 2001-2006. Manufacturing employment decreased from 12% to 8.1% over the period 2001-2006, whilst Construction employment grew fastest in the same period, adding 491 persons. Employment rates are affected by the low participation by younger people and the growing concentration of retirees in an ageing community. Unemployment rates in East Gippsland are greater than national averages. Of the 4059 registered business in 2006 the majority are non employing (2439 or 60%) with the next largest being those employing 1-4 persons (909 or 23%) and those employing 5 or more persons (711 or 17%).

Land Use

Most of the land in East Gippsland is in public ownership (about 87%), comprising mainly State Forest and National Park. With increased access by road and rail, settlement and selection laws became well entrenched in the west of the region and the practice of clearing dense forest for conversion to farmland began.

Agricultural settlement was largely confined to the better quality lands along the river valleys and plateaus, and although such areas provided good quality land, East Gippsland in general was never densely settled. The major agricultural industries, by output value are vegetables and vegetable seed, forestry and fishing, beef cattle, sheep and wool production and dairy cattle

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21.02-7 Natural resources, environment & heritage 29/07/2010 C68 Public land

Public land in East Gippsland includes National Parks, coastal parks, conservation reserves, State forests, other Crown land, lakes and estuaries (Map 1). There are seven National Parks wholly within in East Gippsland – Alfred, Coopracambra, Croajingolong, Errinundra, Lind, Mitchell River and Snowy River - which together total 270,000 hectares, plus part of the Alpine National Park. Other major parks include Lake Tyers State Park, and Gippsland Lakes and Cape Conran-Sydenham Inlet Coastal Parks. Approximately 850,000 hectares of East Gippsland is State Forest managed for timber production on a sustainable yield basis, capable of producing 348,000 cubic metres of sawlogs (D+ grade) and 800,000 cubic metres of residual roundwood annually. The extent of forested areas and the species composition of East Gippsland forests leads to high risks of wildfire, relative to many other areas of Victoria.

Lakes, coasts & wetlands

The ocean coast of East Gippsland is approximately 300 kilometres long. In addition, the Shire contains over 350 kilometres of lakes’ shorelines. The Gippsland Lakes is the largest navigable waterway in Australia, with the main lakes covering 340 square kilometres. Other major coastal lakes or estuaries in the region include Lake Tyers, lower Snowy River wetlands, Sydenham Inlet, Tamboon Inlet and Mallacoota Inlet. East Gippsland has wetlands of major international significance, listed under the Ramsar convention (Map 2). The Gippsland Lakes listing includes the wetlands of Lake King, Lake Victoria, Blond Bay, Jones Bay, Macleods Morass, Lake Bunga and Lake Tyers. The effects of climate change, in particular, the issue of sea level rise, storm surges and coastal erosion may significantly impact on these areas.

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MAP 1 PUBLIC LAND USE

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MAP 2 RAMSAR WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Note: The Gippsland Lakes Ramsar site also includes land in Wellington Shire that is not covered by this Planning Scheme.

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A number of migratory birds species, protected under bilateral agreements with Japan (JAMBA) and China (CAMBA), also utilise wetlands and other areas within East Gippsland. Substantial changes in the ecology of Gippsland Lakes have resulted from: the opening of the permanent entrance at Lakes Entrance; diminished river dilution and flushing, as a result of construction of major storages on tributary streams; increased nutrient inputs from physical disturbance, agricultural runoff, leakage from domestic sewage, and industrial wastes. Major blooms of toxic blue green algae occurred in 1971, 1974, 1987-88, 1996, 1997 and 1999.

Catchments

There are 10 special water supply catchment areas for domestic water supply on the southern side of the Great Dividing Range in East Gippsland, which together total over 6000 square kilometres (Map 3). In addition, part of the Lake Hume catchment is also included in the northern part of the Shire. Priority issues relating to catchment management in the region have been identified as:

ƒ Water erosion, particularly in areas of alluvial soils, and in the Mountain Basins and Plateaux

ƒ Pest plants, particularly in the Red Gum Plains, Lowland Forests, and in the Mountain Basins and Plateaux

ƒ Pest animals, particularly in the Red Gum Plains and Coastal Complex

ƒ Fire, particularly in the Red Gum Plains, Lowland Forests and Foothills and Mountains

ƒ Biodiversity conservation, habitat modification and fragmentation, water quality and management, soil characteristics, native vegetation retention and problem wildlife were also classified as important issues.

Biodiversity

East Gippsland is a reservoir of biodiversity in south eastern Australia, due to the relatively unspoilt nature of its native vegetation. It is the only place in temperate mainland Australia where large tracts of native vegetation are intact from the Alps to the ocean. East Gippsland has a very high species diversity, especially for a temperate region, including at least: 320 species of birds; 65 mammals; 40 reptiles; 20 frogs; 100 estuarine & freshwater fishes; and over 2,700 plant species. Approximately 50 fauna species and 170 plants are listed as ‘threatened’, due principally to habitat alteration.

Heritage

There are 19 places in East Gippsland listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and a number of others awaiting evaluation. Approximately 80 properties are listed on the Register of the National Estate (Australian Heritage Commission), and others are on the Interim List. Large areas of East Gippsland, including Gippsland Lakes and surrounds, are classified by the National Trust as landscapes of special regional significance. The Mitchell River, Mitta Mitta River above Lake Dartmouth, Upper Buchan River, Snowy River, Suggan Buggan River, Bemm River and tributaries, and Genoa River have been declared as Heritage Rivers. There are also four Representative Rivers and approximately 16 Essentially Natural Catchments.

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MAP 3 SPECIAL WATER SUPPLY CATCHMENTS

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21.02-8 Infrastructure for development

19/01/2006 VC37 Reticulated services

Most major towns in the region have very adequate potable water resources to provide for future development; reticulated waste water services also generally have spare capacity. Reticulated sewerage has recently been provided to Omeo, Nicholson River, Johnsonville and Swan Reach. However, reticulated sewerage and water supply systems are still limited in extent, compared with the distribution of urban settlements and relatively high density rural residential development. Water quality in reticulated domestic water supply systems in the region does not always comply with World Health Organisation standards. The main problems are bacteriological content and colour. New water treatment plants have recently been commissioned in Mallacoota and Orbost and a new water supply system completed at Omeo. East Gippsland Water has constructed an off-river storage at Wuk Wuk and is building a pipeline that will allow the Lakes Entrance system - which also serves Metung and Swan Reach/ Johnsonville – to be supplied from the Mitchell River rather than the Tambo-Nicholson systems.

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