Protect Nature on the Surf Coast: Stop Habitat Loss and Create a Surf Coast Plan for Nature

For five years, a flock of ibis returned to the same stand of trees at the edge of Briody Drive in Torquay. It was their home. A reliable place to rest, nest and exist alongside us.

Earlier this year, that stand of trees was cleared as part of the Briody Grove Estate development. What followed became a visible reminder of a much larger issue. Across Torquay, mature habitat is being removed, wildlife displaced and ecosystems fragmented through the cumulative impacts of development and urban growth.

The ibis were not the only species affected. Across Torquay, residents are witnessing the loss of mature trees, the fragmentation of habitat and the steady decline of the natural spaces that support local wildlife. This is not an isolated incident. It is a landscape-wide issue that affects the whole Surf Coast.

Why we are raising our voices now

Torquay is experiencing rapid development, but our planning processes are not keeping pace with the ecological reality. Mature habitat is being removed faster than it can ever be replaced. Wildlife rescue volunteers are reporting increasing numbers of displaced animals. Residents are seeing fewer birds, fewer trees and fewer places where nature can thrive.

Council often responds to community concerns by saying that all approvals were met and consultation was conducted. But meeting minimum standards is not the same as environmental leadership, especially for a council that promotes itself as an Eco Destination.

Across Australia, environmental laws are being rewritten because they have failed to protect biodiversity. The federal government's Nature Positive Plan acknowledges that the current EPBC Act has not prevented ongoing habitat loss or species decline.

Reference: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/publications/nature-positive-plan

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/threatened-species-habitat-destruction-australia-15-year-high 

Clearing a mature roosting site cannot be offset by planting saplings in a streetscape. Ecologically, that is a downgrade, not a replacement. While individual developments may include replacement planting, mature trees provide habitat, canopy, cooling, carbon storage, nesting opportunities and ecological complexity that cannot be recreated for decades, if at all. The loss is immediate. The replacement benefit is delayed and uncertain.

This is about cumulative habitat loss across Torquay and the Surf Coast

The clearing at Briody Grove brought community attention to an issue that extends far beyond a single development site. Across Torquay and the wider Surf Coast, mature vegetation continues to be removed through urban expansion, subdivision, infill development and infrastructure works. Recent examples include vegetation removal associated with Briody Grove, and upcoming Cypress Lane and Coombes Road, as well as community concerns regarding the future of mature Moonah trees at Taylor Park.

At the same time, important local ecosystems such as Karaaf Wetlands and Deep Creek face increasing pressure from urban growth, stormwater impacts and habitat fragmentation.

Reference: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-05/torquay-property-boom-puts-karaaf-wetlands-under-threat/100046260

Viewed individually, these impacts may appear manageable. Viewed together, they represent a gradual erosion of the ecological character that makes the Surf Coast unique. Habitat becomes fragmented. Wildlife movement is restricted. Tree canopy declines. Species become less resilient to climate change. Nature experiences the cumulative impact, even when planning decisions are assessed one site at a time.

What other councils are doing and why Surf Coast is falling behind

The City of Greater Geelong has recognised the need for a whole-of-landscape approach through its Draft Plan for Nature, which includes biodiversity targets, habitat mapping, restoration priorities and measurable actions to protect and restore nature.

Reference: https://yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/planfornature 

Surf Coast Shire is now proposing to develop a Biodiversity Strategy. This is a positive step, but a strategy alone will not be enough unless it includes clear targets, ongoing monitoring, accountability measures and direct integration with planning and development decisions.

Surf Coast Shire has strong environmental language in its strategies, but it still lacks a comprehensive and measurable Plan for Nature capable of addressing cumulative impacts across the entire landscape. Without a clear and measurable biodiversity framework, decisions continue to be made site by site. This ignores the cumulative impacts across the whole landscape.

A new way forward: recognising nature as a stakeholder

Around the world and here in Victoria, ecosystems are increasingly recognised as living entities with rights and intrinsic value.

• The Whanganui River in Aotearoa New Zealand has legal personhood.
• Te Urewera Forest is recognised as a living entity.
• The Yarra River (Birrarung) is recognised in Victorian law as a living entity with its own voice.

 These examples show a shift toward treating nature as a stakeholder, not an afterthought. Surf Coast can take a meaningful first step by embedding habitat-first principles into planning decisions.

Reference: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4ee3fe38e16d45709278edf5bdc1dc1f

We, the undersigned, call on Surf Coast Shire Council to:

1. Adopt a habitat-first approach that actually prioritises the retention of mature trees and existing wildlife habitat wherever possible across all development and infrastructure projects.
2. Require staged vegetation removal that considers wildlife movement, breeding seasons and the availability of alternative habitat.
3. Treat trees and ecosystems as essential infrastructure, not optional extras. Mature trees must be retained wherever possible.
4. Develop and implement a Surf Coast Plan for Nature within 12 months, co-designed with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, local environmental organisations, the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and the wider community.
5. Establish annual monitoring and public reporting of vegetation cover, tree canopy cover and habitat loss across Torquay and the wider Surf Coast to assess cumulative impacts over time  (not just on public/council, but all land within the town boundary). 
6. Set measurable biodiversity targets aligned with national commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and report publicly on progress.
7. Recognise nature as a stakeholder in planning decisions by adopting habitat-first planning principles and exploring rights of nature approaches for key landscapes.
8. Assess cumulative impacts across Torquay, not just individual developments in isolation.

 This is not about stopping change. It is about changing how we change. We are in the middle of a biodiversity crisis. The decisions we make now will shape the Surf Coast for generations.

We ask Surf Coast Shire Council to align its planning decisions, Biodiversity Strategy and future growth planning with its Eco Destination values, national biodiversity commitments and the community's clear desire to protect the nature that makes this place special. The question is no longer whether Torquay will grow. It is whether nature will have a meaningful place in that future.

We call on Council to lead, not follow, in creating a truly Nature Positive Surf Coast.