While the concept of Living Corridors is yet to  be defined, Living Corridors are recognised in the Ballarat Strategy as current or potential environmental connections through the landscape. Living Corridors are generally located around areas with high biodiversity value such as wetlands, bushland reserves and areas for targeted rehabilitation.

This work is being undertaken to ensure that people, wildlife and vegetation will benefit from the continuity of natural areas and strong connections between them. Identifying what 'Living Corridors' are and where they should be located and how they should be managed in the Ballarat context will be play an important role in maintaining and rehabilitating the natural environment in Ballarat moving into the future. 

Identification of the Eastern Living Corridors will respond to Action 5.3 of the Urban Forest Action Plan which is to Encourage initiatives that support planting on private land that reinforce and/or enhance neighbourhood character and the Urban Forest objectives and actions. That considered,  both private and public land will be considered when identifying the Eastern Living Corridors. This may include land that where residential zones currently apply. It is anticipated that the Living Corridor Action Plan will be used to inform the Residential Character Study that has recently commenced. 

Yes. The review of planning controls may include may include current schedules to the Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO), Environmental Significance Overlay and the relationship between these controls and the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO).

A Planning Scheme Amendment may be progressed if the review of environmental planning controls that apply to land located in the identified corridors demonstrates that current planning controls are not effectively managing the natural environment in line with the Living Corridors Action Plan.

The Living Corridor Action Plan will provide guidance on how environmental values should be managed throughout the east of Ballarat. While the Eastern Living Corridors have not yet been defined, it is anticipated that the Living Corridors Action Plan may inform the way management of environmental values are addressed in the Brown Hill Local Area Plan and the Buninyong Township Plan. 

The City of Ballarat has recently launched the Yarrowee River Masterplan project. This project involves creating a masterplan seeks to improve, develop, manage and maintain the Yarrowee River and its tributaries in to the future. .