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. 

This month, that stand of trees was cleared for the Briody Grove Estate development. The ibis circled in confusion, displaced from a home they had depended on for years. They are not the only ones. Across Torquay, residents are witnessing the same pattern. Mature trees are being removed, wildlife is being displaced, and ecosystems are being fragmented across multiple development sites including Briody Grove, Cypress Lane, Coombes Road and potentially The Sands.  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: Nature Positive Plan: better for the environment, better for business
Reference: Ten Sydney Harbours’ worth of threatened species habitat approved for destruction in 2025, report finds 

Clearing a mature roosting site cannot be offset by planting saplings in a streetscape. Ecologically, that is a downgrade, not a replacement. 

This is a Surf Coast problem, not just a Briody Drive problem

The clearing at Briody Drive is one example in a growing list. 

• Cypress Lane: mature trees removed for infill development
• Coombes Road: large scale clearing proposed for new estates
• The Sands: potential future clearing for expansion
• Karaaf Wetlands: already degraded by stormwater from rapid development 
• Deep Creek: at risk from cumulative stormwater and habitat fragmentation 

Reference: Torquay is having a property boom, but the Karaaf Wetlands on Victoria's Surf Coast is under threat

These impacts are not isolated. They are connected across the landscape and affect wildlife movement, water systems and the ecological character of the Surf Coast. 

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

The City of Greater Geelong is developing a comprehensive ten-year Plan for Nature with clear goals, targets and actions to protect biodiversity and restore habitat. 
Reference: https://yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/planfornature 

Surf Coast Shire has strong environmental language in its strategies, but no equivalent Plan for Nature that guides decisions like Briody Grove, Cypress Lane or Coombes Road.  Without a clear and measurable biodiversity strategy, decisions are 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: The Whanganui River and the Rights of Nature A Case Study on the Rights of Personhood of the Whanganui River, Aotearoa New Zealand

What we are asking Surf Coast Shire Council to do 

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

1. Pause and review further clearing of mature trees in Briody Grove and other growth areas until a Habitat Retention and Replacement Plan is in place. 
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 a Surf Coast Plan for Nature within 12 months . Co-designed with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, local environmental groups, CCMA and the community. 
5. Recognise nature as a stakeholder in planning decisions by adopting habitat first planning principles and exploring rights of nature approaches for key landscapes. 
6. 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 with its Eco Destination values and with the community's clear desire to protect the nature that makes this place special. 

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