Urban sprawl - a viewpoint

Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world with around 90% of its population living in urban or ‘built up’ areas. The Baw Baw Shire website says that in 2020, the shires population was nearly 55,000. The shire figures state that in the year 2019-2020, our population grew by 2.79%, (more than double the average for regional Victoria). The data forecasts suggest that Baw Baw Shire will grow at an average annual rate of 2.19%, giving shire a population of well above 76,000 people by 2036.

Warragul and Drouin's urban sprawl is very evident

Demographic figures for 2018 suggest that the outer areas of Melbourne grew by more than 60,000, way ahead of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. In the same year, the population growth of the inner areas of Melbourne declined. All of this has impacted considerably on outer and nearby centres, often resulting in urban sprawl.

 

Loss of wildlife habitat and prime agricultural land

 

Some of the recognised negative impacts of urban sprawl include: 

• Increased pressure on biodiversity
• High dependence on motor vehicles
• Lack of social capital - the glue that holds a community together - associations, publications, meetings, civic engagements, etc 
• Loss of sense of place, heritage and culture
• Lack of housing diversity - boring streetscapes
• Formation of uniform socioeconomic communities

Inefficient land use, costly infrastructure, homogeneous demographics, poor access to public services, dormitory suburbs, elevated energy consumption, sedentary lifestyles, air pollution, altered watersheds and soil profiles, etc.

Examples of medium density options

To help combat the undesirable impacts of urban sprawl, some suggested approaches might include: 

• Develop stronger zoning and planning strategies
• Creative planning - green developments, mix of affordable housing, Sustainable developments, etc
• Invest in intermodal transport systems, parking strategies, car-pooling, etc
• Sensitive and appropriate open space planning - community consultation
• Develop master plans that balance heritage, conservation and development
• Penalize irresponsible and illegal development
• Consider mixed-density developments, etc.
  

Urban sprawl is with us in parts of Baw Baw and we need to do our development differently.

 

Links to some further reading:

•  Australia State of the Environment - Urban Development
• Development Victoria – Projects 
• Baw Baw Shire Population profiles
• Charting Transport - Which Australian City is Sprawling the Most?
• Melbourne Projected Growth GIF - Credit Gfycat
• Expanding Urban Sprawl - Melbourne is Getting the Mix Wrong         

          

            

            

Domestic pets or pests?

There are many valid reasons for keeping a pet: relaxation, companionship, protection, rescue, education, etc. The RSPCA quotes, “There are over 29 million pets in Australia and we have one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world. Approximately 61% of households in Australia own pets, with dogs being the most common (40%), followed by cats (27%).”

It is estimated there are 4.2 million pet dogs and 3.3 million pet cats in Australia.

Domestic cats and dogs have a significant impact on native wildlife. In urban areas, populations of native animals such as possums, gliders, lizards and birds can be severely affected.

Bellbird Park

A study by the Australian National University in 2014 concluded that feral and domestic cats killed 1.5 billion native animals a year! There are about 2.8 million feral cats in Australia and each one kills something like 750 animals per year. Domestic cats can kill as many as 75 native animals each year. 

McNeilly Park

In October 2014, 2,452 cats and 8,938 dogs were registered in Baw Baw Shire. In August 2017, the number of registrations had dropped to 2,149 cats and 7,777 dogs. In Baw Baw Shire, pet cats and dogs must be registered and are legally required to be confined to your property.

 

Further reading

BBS Cat registration and responsibilities LINK

BBS Dog registration and responsibilities LINK

 

Trees and development in Baw Baw

 Urban tree canopy provides many social, economic, health and environmental benefits:

·       Trees in urban situations can increase property values dramatically

·       The health of the population is superior in treed suburbs and towns

·       Urban trees tend to calm traffic and make the roads safer

·       Trees help keep the ambient temperatures down and lower energy costs

·       Trees sequester carbon, reduce runoff, absorb pollutants, hide ugly structures, mitigate strong winds, provide habitat for wildlife, bind the soil, lower road maintenance costs and more.

Tree canopy in Baw Baw is declining. Developments in our major towns invariably involve the loss of trees and other valuable vegetation on both public and private land.

Main South Rd - Many trees were marked for retention - now gone!

Our shire badly needs strong local laws and protection overlays that promote and facilitate the preservation of significant vegetation. Site planning that maximises the retention of trees within developments and adjoining areas is not difficult and should be a major consideration in all sub-divisions.

The retention of significant vegetation should be a required condition of development planning. Many shires have conditions for the retention or planting of significant trees even for non-residential developments such as car parks, industrial sites and commercial developments. This isn’t new, it’s being done on our doorstep. Baw Baw needs to catch up.

If trees had a monetary value and were included as assets for the shire, policies and guidelines for their retention would become essential. Many local government authourities apply a formula to determine the value of their trees. There are many such formulas available.

Typical Drouin estate with some yards barely large enough for a shrub let alone a small tree

 

Urban vegetation, trees in particular, provide enormous value to society. It is time Baw Baw’s trees were given greater respect.

 

Some further reading:

     City of Boroondara (Tree Protection Local Law)

     LINK: https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-05/Tree-Protection-                        Local-Law.pdf

“Council also acknowledges that trees in the urban environment have a series of environmental benefits such as reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect, reducing the effects of climate change, reducing temperatures in and around buildings, reducing stormwater runoff, absorbing pollution, providing habitat and promoting biodiversity.”

     Greening the West (A planning strategy for Melbourne’s western suburbs)

LINK; https://greeningthewest.org.au/         

“Urban greening in the west is a low-cost strategy that will bring high impact results – environmentally, economically and crucially, for the health and wellbeing of the residents who live there.”

     Trees and Development (City of Stirling WA – trees policy to be adopted during                 development)

             LINK: https://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/waste-and-environment/trees/trees-and-                                development

“A majority of the canopy loss occurring is the result of development on private land. To reduce these losses and increase the planting of new trees to replace what is being lost, a number of requirements have been introduced to ensure that trees are considered during development.”

     Greener Spaces Better Places (Horticulture Innovation Australia – making urban spaces         greener)

             LINK: https://www.greenerspacesbetterplaces.com.au/

“Greener spaces make urban places better. They create places that are more appealing to work, play and relax in and help us feel a sense of place and community within our busy lives.”