Environmentally Sustainable Development

This process helps us meet our responsibility to protect what we enjoy today for future generations.

ESD, or environmentally sustainable development, is becoming increasingly important in our everyday life. It is our responsibility towards future generations to ensure what we enjoy today can be protected for them to enjoy in the future.

Environmentally/ecologically sustainable development, at its broadest meaning, is defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development in its 1990 report, as:

Our Common Future: Sustainable Development = development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmentally Sustainable Development is a very broad term in its application and covers all aspects of life, including natural, social, cultural and economic.

We have produced the Environmentally Sustainable Development brochure which focuses on the built environment, involving both the built form and open spaces.

The brochure provides guidance to residents, developers, applicants and any other groups who may be involved in the design and planning of our environment. Achieving a more sustainable environment requires that Council and developers/applicants work collaboratively to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints.

The brochure provides some simple yet effective measures that applicants need to consider in their planning applications to demonstrate that an environmentally sustainable outcome is achieved for their proposals.

Landscape Guidelines are available to assist applicants to consider landscaping at the start of the design process.

Council's initiatives in the ESD area can be accessed from the Environment policies and strategies page.