Site Environmental Management Plan

All construction projects must obtain an approved Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) prior to the commencement of works within the City of Whittlesea. A SEMP may require approval from other organisations such as DELWP, Melbourne Water or EPA. These approvals must be sought and gained separately, however Council approval is still a mandatory requirement. 

The SEMP template must be used in conjunction with the Site Environmental Management Plan Kit - Guidelines and Standards Manual information. The SEMP should be submitted for approval after the Functional Layout Plan (FLPs) have been endorsed where we will cross-reference design elements between plans so that they match, and at a minimum of 21 days before a required pre-commencement meeting. This will reduce the likelihood that activities are delayed while waiting for the plan to be approved and endorsed.

Additional guidance on preparing an effective SEMP can be found in the factsheet.

All Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) applications must be submitted to the Development Engineering department via email at development.engineering@whittlesea.vic.gov.au.

Where additional information is required or the submission is inadequate, Council may request further details and a resubmission.

City of Whittlesea’s officers conduct regular inspections to check compliance against the Approved SEMP. Where non-compliance exists, appropriate action will be taken, including guidance and direction to comply. Enforcement, where required by Council and other relevant authorities will proceed if breaches of legislation or Approved SEMP occur.

For further information contact the Development Engineering department via email Development.Engineering@whittlesea.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9217 2170.

Local Government Requirements

• Clause 53.18-6 Site management objectives - Protection of drainage infrastructure and receiving waters from sedimentation and contamination; Protection of the site and surrounding area from environmental degradation prior to and during construction.
• Clause 56.08-1 Site Management Objectives Standard C26 - These provisions require that the subdivision applicants describe how the site will be managed to minimise environmental impacts.
• Clause 52.17 – Native Vegetation – A permit is required to remove non-native trees over a certain size. The objective of the native vegetation clearing controls is “no net loss” in the contribution that native vegetation makes to Victoria’s biodiversity.

General Environmental Duty (GED)

• Victoria’s new Environment Protection Act (The Act) came into effect on 1 July 2021. The laws feature new responsibilities (called duties), and the centrepiece the ‘General Environmental Duty’ (GED) creates an obligation to understand risks and harms to human health and the environment from activities you undertake or engage in. It also means you must take reasonable steps to eliminate or minimise these risks and harms to human health and the environment from your activities.
• Environment Protection Authority Victoria Publications and Guidance about Construction
• EPA Publication 1834: Civil construction, building and demolition guide
  This guide replaces the following publications:
  
  • Environmental guidelines for major construction sites (publication 480, February 1996)
  • Doing it right on subdivisions: Temporary environmental protection measures for subdivision construction sites (publication 960, September 2004)
  • Reducing stormwater pollution from construction sites (publication 981, May 2005)
  • Noise control guidelines (Section 2) (publication 1254, October 2008)
  • Noise from large residential subdivision or urban development sites (publication 1264, November 2008)
• Melbourne Water
• Recycling and Waste Minimisation