OPW20-0092 - Applicant's Response to Council's IR · OPW20/0092

Council’s Issue

The higher order approval Condition 26 requires:

        The area of land between the fence and the front property boundary must be densely landscaped
        to screen any fencing from the street. Understorey planting must grow to a minimum height of 2m.
        The supplied landscape plans show understorey planting of Alpinia and “Cousin it” which will not
        achieve a minimum height of 2m in these conditions.


Information Required by Council

3.    Provide revised landscape plans which adequately address condition 26 of the higher order approval
      by providing local native understorey species, suitable for the location, which achieve a minimum height
      of 2m


Applicant’s Response

Casuarina Glauca is a ground cover which is intended to provide a green understorey that fills any gap in
foliage cover between the surface of the garden bed and taller species. Such an understory provides a
transition from the hardscape elements of the fence design to woody or bare stems of other species within
the plant selection.

The applicant’s research indicates that the Australian Native Ginger, Alpinia Caerulea, will, in normal
circumstances will achieve up to 3 metres height. The selection is considered appropriate for the situation
and will provide the taller green elements desired in the landscape design. It is proposed that this species
will be densely planted and with its long broad leaves will provide the screening required by the conditions of
the higher order approval.

Attachment 3 illustrates some of the research obtained by the applicant in researching species that
complement the landscape design at the desired height. Figures 6 and 7 are photographs taken from the
Noosa Region which demonstrate the height that these plants can achieve in a residential garden setting.

Figure 7 shows clearly how dense planting of this species can totally block any rear fencing or structure
behind. This semi mature planting was between 1.8 – 2.2m in height.




                                                                    PO Box 1818        07 5474 3873
                                                                    Noosa Heads        [email protected]
                                                                    QLD 4567           rgstrategic.com.au