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Objective

Recommendation

Key issues

What has been achieved 1998-2003

Tasmania Together

Related Issue Reports

Objective

To establish a planning framework to maintain urban and rural scenic and landscape qualities.

Recommendation

It is recommended that:

• significant skylines, scenic landscapes and areas of consistent and recognisable landscape character be defined and mapped at a regional scale in partnership with councils and community organisations and be made available through the Land Information System Tasmania (LIST);
   
• a State Policy on the Protection of Scenic Landscapes be prepared to define the principles for protecting significant skylines and landscape areas, particularly those visible from major tourist routes and tourist attractions, in a similar manner to the State Policy on the Protection of Agricultural Land;
   
• planning schemes, amendments and development proposals be assessed to ensure they protect significant skylines and landscape areas and that development changes will maintain distinctive landscape character;
   
• significant skylines, scenic landscapes and areas of consistent and recognisable landscape character be recognised in local and regional strategies in relation to beneficial values including: natural resource management; open space and recreation; vegetation management; catchment management; and coastal management;
   
• the Forest Practices Board Visual Management System for Tasmania be updated to take account of visual landscape character (as defined through community participation in landscape assessment) in determining the visual suitability, scale and design of plantation and native forestry; and
   
• the Planning Guidelines for Urban Skylines and Hillfaces (2001) be reviewed and updated in the light of the Hobart region gap analysis being undertaken by the Commission, and be given appropriate weight in the assessment of planning schemes and amendments.
   

Key issues

Scenic landscape includes the properties of the land, such as landform, landcover, slope, and land use, arising from a number of natural and cultural processes. Landscape has ecological, scenic, and cultural meaning. The focus of this recommendation is scenic landscape values.

The previous SoE Report (SDAC 1997) referred to scenic values being devalued through inappropriate suburban and ribbon development, particularly in urban bushland and on skylines. A State Policy on protection of remnant native vegetation was seen as part of the solution, plus development of a landscape protection policy, as envisaged by the State Policy Planning Framework.

Some of the points from the 'At a glance' section for the Scenic Landscape Condition Issue Report include the following.

• The condition of scenic landscape values is important for Tasmania for a variety of reasons. There are strong cultural ties to landscape and feelings for the visual beauty of the mountains, lakes, coasts and forests of Tasmania, which are a common bond among people. The landscape values of the State remain a major drawcard for the State's tourism industry and these landscapes should be managed as a key component of tourism infrastructure. Landscape values often have an association with environmental and natural resource values-the values that people appreciate in a landscape may often also be important ecologically.
   
• Landscape inventories have been developed for other places where landscapes values also feature strongly in their sense of identity and connection to the land and to the tourist attraction and appreciation of these values (e.g. Scotland). Elsewhere in Australia they have been prepared for local government (e.g. Caboolture Shire Council) and, in Tasmania, by the Meander Valley Council. Landscape inventories-linked to planning and development controls- provide the means to plan to avoid, or lessen the impacts, on landscape values arising from changes to the ways society uses or manages its land resources.
   
• There has been a significant deterioration in landscape values of Hobart's hill slopes arising from residential development. Increasing property values and housing development-particularly along Tasmania's coastlines-is placing pressure on the State's landscapes and requires consistent and coordinated policy responses.
   
• Intensification of land use combined with the absence of landscape inventories and poor recognition of landscapes within many planning schemes will lead to a deterioration of landscape values if present trends continue. This will have consequences for the sense of place and the quality of experience enjoyed by visitors.
   

What has been achieved 1998-2003

As outlined below, there have been a number of initiatives in the last five years in relation to the protection of scenic landscape values. However, in general these initiatives have not resulted in the improved identification and protection of scenic landscape values.

• A visual management schedule is proposed as part of a standard framework for schedules in Phase 2 of the Simplifying Planning Schemes project. A GIS visual assessment has been carried out for the SoE Report for the lower-Derwent River visual catchment. The Hobart region gap analysis will compare current and proposed zoning with the results of the assessment to determine gaps in protection.
   
• Landscape inventories have advanced in the last five years and there are now some examples of best-practice approaches, which Tasmania could draw upon. For example, the preparation of inventories for local governments as mentioned above in 'Key Issues'. Tasmania has its own well-established system in Forestry Tasmania's Visual Management System. This system is used for predicting impacts on viewfields arising from forestry activities on State Forests, and for managing these impacts.
   
• The Urban Skylines and Hillfaces Committee (comprising community, and state and local government representatives) developed a method for identifying the visual impact of development on skylines and hillfaces and identified recommendations for improving the management of visually sensitive areas (Urban Skylines and Hillfaces Committee 2000).
   
• The Planning Guidelines for Urban Skylines and Hillfaces (2000) was subsequently produced for use at the strategic planning stage in the preparation of planning schemes. The Planning Guidelines are advisory best practice. They rely on a GIS visual assessment process, which is beyond the capacity of many councils at present, but has been carried out by Meander Valley Council for part of its municipality. However, the inclusion of draft performance criteria for visual values into the new Meander Valley planning scheme has been resisted by farming and forestry interests.
   

Tasmania Together

Relevant Tasmania Together goals and standards for 'Land' are listed in the linked file. The Tasmania Together Progress Board reported on progress toward targets for benchmarks set (Tasmania Together Progress Board 2003). Indicators, targets and baseline data are available in the latest Progress Report June 2003. Further information, including progress report updates, is available from Tasmania Together.

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