MUNDARING Shire is leading the nation with a bushfire and biodiversity initiative after adding a national award for excellence to last year’s state win.
The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) honour recognised the Shire’s approach to implementing the initiative to improve planning and practices.
Judges said the initiative enhanced development and land management in Mundaring using a model that could be adapted easily and implemented by other local government agencies.
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READ NOWShire President David Lavell said the award was testament to the council planning and environment team’s ability to achieve the right balance between bushfire mitigation and biodiversity protection.
“Our team recognised the need for early intervention, particularly in heavily vegetated areas, in order to meet both environmental and bushfire objectives,” he said.
“Our staff collaborated with key stakeholders and developed a suite of implementation tools and services.”
Cr Lavell said the change was motivated by the need for more streamlined planning approvals to avoid additional costs for landowners and delays associated with revising plans and relocating buildings.
Mundaring Shire collected a Premier’s Award at last year’s PIA WA Awards for planning excellence, which led to an invitation to the recent national awards event in Sydney.
PIA president Brendan Nelson said the standard of nominations in 2017 at a national level was outstanding.
“The calibre of the people and projects nominated for this year’s awards made for a very heartening appraisal of the state of Australian planning.”
The PIA awards showcase leading practice across a range of planning disciplines and sectors.
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