Board Meeting: March 2015
Agenda Number: 9 (iii)
File Ref: TL 0051
LORD HOWE ISLAND BOARD
Business Paper
Item
Planning Proposal for Significant Native Vegetation (SNV) amendments
Background
The following Planning Proposal has been prepared for the Lord Howe Island Board (LHIB).
Applicant
LHIB
Site
The settlement area of Lord
Howe Island (LHI)
Proposed Development
 Amend Sheet 3 – Significant
Native Vegetation Map
Value ($)
NA
 Amend definition for
Significant Native Vegetation
RPS Group (LHIB’s planning consultant) has prepared the attached Planning Proposal on behalf of the
Board to update the Significant Native Vegetation (SNV) map and definition within the LHI Local
Environmental Plan 2010 (LEP 2010). The updated mapping will provide spatially accurate vegetation
mapping that can be used operationally by the LHIB to identify and protect native vegetation.
The resolution of the Board is required to progress the Planning Proposal and refer the application to the
NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DP&E) Local Environmental Plan (LEP) Gateway Review
Panel.
Following a positive determination by the LEP Gateway Review Panel, the LEP amendment would be
placed on public exhibition for 28 days in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Planning
and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act 1979). Required referrals to Government Agencies will also be
completed. Once public exhibition and agency referrals are complete, the application will be reported back
to the Board.
The attached Planning Proposal has been prepared in accordance with the DP&E’s A Guide to Preparing
Planning Proposals (October, 2012).
Planning Proposal
The intended outcome of this Planning Proposal is to update the SNV map and definition to help
accurately identify and protect SNV on the island.
Currently, the SNV map provides a number of inconsistencies and inaccuracies in identifying SNV on the
island. This can make it difficult to properly identify and protect SNV on the island. This also impacts
development applications on the island, as it ensures appropriate development would not be incorrectly
constrained due to erroneous mapping.
The objective is therefore to provide a more accurate SNV map, and definition, to properly identify and
protect SNV on the island.
In order to do this, this Planning Proposals seeks the following amendments to LEP 2010:
 Amend LHI LEP 2010 Significant Native Vegetation Map (Sheet 3).
 Amend the definition of SNV to the following:
significant native vegetation means vegetation native to Lord Howe Island that is identified as
significant native vegetation on Sheet 3 of the map.
Planning Proposal Assessment Comment
The Planning Proposal attached provides an assessment of the proposed amendments in accordance with
the EP&A Act 1979 and the DP&E’s A Guide to Preparing Planning Proposals (October 2012).
The subject amendments are supported for the following reasons:
 Accurately identifies SNV on the island.
 Ensure appropriate development would not be incorrectly constrained by erroneous mapping.
 There will be negligible or minimal environmental impacts to the island.
 It assists to protect the protection of critical habitat, threatened species, populations or ecological
communities and their habitats.
 It assists to protect the world heritage vales of the island.
Project Timeline
Subject to approval from the Board, it is anticipated the gateway determination would occur at late
June/July 2015. Public exhibition is proposed in July/August 2015. A 28 day exhibition period is proposed
to allow leaseholders another opportunity to review mapping on their allotments.
Following public exhibition, the Board will review all submissions for the Planning Proposal within 14 days.
All responses to submissions and any other queries for government agencies will be assessed and
reported to the Board. If no major amendments to the Planning Proposal are required following exhibition,
it is expected that the Planning Proposal will be finalised by the end of 2015.
Conclusion
The attached planning proposal has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the EP&A Act
1979 and the DP&E’s A Guide to Preparing Planning Proposals (October 2012) and it supports the SNV
amendments.
It is considered that the proposed amendments are appropriate to properly identify and protect SNV on the
island.
Recommendation
(1)
That the attached Planning Proposal for the above Significant Native Vegetation
amendments be forwarded to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s LEP
Gateway Review Panel.
Report prepared by
Endorsed
Jaime Bohm
Date: 05 March 2015
Bill Monks
Date:
LHI Consultant Town Planner
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Lord Howe Island Board
Attachment:
Planning Proposal – RPS Group
‘Significant Native Vegetation Amendments’
Lord Howe Island