What is involved in a habitat hectare assessment of the swampy riparian woodland?
Habitat hectares are a measure of the extent and condition of native vegetation. A full explanation of the methodology is available on the DSE web site. A patch of native vegetation is scored according to this standard methodology based on the species and life-forms present in comparison to a published benchmark for that community or ecological vegetation class (EVC). The score the vegetation achieves under this method is multiplied by the area of the patch to identify how many habitat hectares are present. This is then used in any planning process to identify the relative value of the site and inform the planning process on recommended responses to any change in land use (see Victoria’s Native Vegetation Management Framework – also available on the DSE website).
