Transcript
Welcome to this tutorial video on using the NVR Map Native Vegetation Removal Tool. In this video, we'll guide you through the fundamental steps of creating a Native Vegetation Removal Report. For more detailed information, including the NVR Map User Guide document, please visit the NVR Map website.
Let's begin by providing you with an overview of NVR Map and the Native Vegetation Removal Tool. NVR Map is a valuable web-based resource accessible to the public. It offers a wide range of spatial datasets related to the Native Vegetation Regulations. By utilising this platform, users can generate Native Vegetation Removal Reports for clearing proposals falling within the Basic, Intermediate or Detailed Assessment Pathway.
These reports play a crucial role in applications seeking approval to remove destroy, or lop native vegetation. They provide essential information to assess the impact of such activities and determine appropriate offset requirements.
Now, let's dive into the process of using NVR Map to map a clearing proposal and generate a Native Vegetation Removal Report.
To begin, access the NVR Map home page and take a moment to review the website's policies located at the bottom of the page. Pay special attention to the Terms of Use to ensure compliance. Next, find and click on the GO TO THE NATIVE VEGETATION REMOVAL TOOL link. This will take you to a page with valuable information related to your proposal.
After reviewing the provided information, proceed by clicking the Launch tool button. This will initiate the tool and grant you access to its features.
The next step involves identifying if you are completing a Detailed Upload, which involves submitting a Shapefile that adheres to defined data standards and includes site-specific information gathered by a certified native vegetation assessor. This feature is utilised when opting for site-assessed data in the Basic or Intermediate Assessment Pathways, and is obligatory for proposals within the Detailed Assessment Pathway.
If opting for a Detailed Upload, select ‘Yes’ and follow the steps within the NVR Map interface to generate a report. Typically, this process is managed by experienced consultants. The following steps outlined in this video presume that a Detailed Upload is not proposed.
After confirming that a Detailed Upload isn’t being completed you will be prompted to identify any past instances of native vegetation removal that are relevant to your proposal. You can find useful information for this by clicking on the following icons:
Once you've fulfilled this requirement, move on to the next step. Click on Map Native Vegetation. This will allow you to progress in the process and continue with the mapping of native vegetation.
Moving on to the map interface page, your next task is to pinpoint the area for your proposed native vegetation removal. Here's how you can do it.
Start by entering the address or Standard Parcel Identifier in the property search bar. As you begin typing, a list of potential addresses or SPIs will appear. Simply select the relevant suggestion from the list. Once selected, the map screen will automatically zoom in, centering on the specified property.
Alternatively, you have the option to navigate manually. Just hold down the left mouse button and drag your cursor to move around the map. For zooming in and out, you can use either the zoom buttons or scroll your mouse wheel.
Switching between different map views is simple. Just click on the icon that toggles between aerial imagery and the base map. This lets you select the map view that suits your needs.
When you need to access more details, the Layers button comes in handy. Clicking on it brings up a table of contents showcasing various useful layers. These layers are designed to help you navigate the map interface effectively and accurately map your proposed native vegetation removal. Certain layers come with a transparency slider. Adjusting this slider allows you to control the transparency of the selected layer, making it easier to identify and visualise underlying features.
The Identify tool, represented by the following icon, is at your disposal. Click on it to gather specific information about features displayed on the map.
The Measurement tool can also be accessed by clicking on the following icon. This tool provides the ability to measure distances on the map in various metrics.
Within the map interface page, you'll be able to pinpoint your proposed native vegetation removal using the draw or upload functions. To guide you through the process, the How to map native vegetation removal link offers valuable insights into defining and mapping the native vegetation you intend to remove. This includes images illustrating common removal scenarios.
The DRAW tool allows you to map both Patches and Canopy Trees. On-screen instructions are readily available to assist you along the way.
When it comes to classifying trees, their location within Patches or outside them is the key factor. Canopy Trees plotted within Patches are automatically categorised as Patch Trees.
Canopy Trees outside of Patches can be classified as either Scattered Trees or Patch Trees.
Keep in mind that Canopy Trees outside of Patches should only be classified as Patch Trees if they're part of a Patch and their removal impacts are limited to the subject tree, noting that this is partial removal.
As you plot Canopy Trees, you'll be prompted to specify the tree size based on either the trunk circumference at 1.3 meters above ground level or the trunk diameter at breast height (or DBH). This information determines whether the tree is classified as small or large.
For trees within an Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) with multiple Large Tree benchmarks, you'll need to select the appropriate tree species or genus. If the species or genus isn't known or listed, simply choose Other species/genus.
As you map removal features, a summary will appear along the left-hand side of the map page. This summary offers options to:
Move drawn Patches, Scattered Trees and Patch Trees
Re-shape drawn Patches
Delete individual or all drawn features, or
Change the attributes of Scattered Trees and Patch Trees, such as their size and designated species/genus.
NVR Map allows for the upload of Patches and Canopy Trees proposed for removal via a Shapefile . It is important to ensure that the Shapefile conforms to the data standards, which can be accessed by clicking on the following icon.
As per drawn Canopy Trees, you will be prompted to select the relevant tree species or genus if an uploaded tree point lies within an EVC with multiple Large Tree benchmarks.
Once you've mapped all proposed native vegetation for removal, you'll find the To Summary button at the bottom of the screen. Clicking this button generates a comprehensive summary, including the site location and mapped removal features.
Additionally, the summary will reveal whether your proposal falls under the Basic, Intermediate, or Detailed Assessment Pathway. For Basic and Intermediate Assessment Pathways, the summary outlines the necessary offset requirements if approval is granted for the removal of the mapped native vegetation.
However, for proposals in the Detailed Assessment Pathway, the summary will not specify offset obligations. This is because the Detailed Upload function must be used to confirm offset obligations within the Detailed Assessment Pathway.
When you're ready, click on the Next button to proceed to the next step.
If your proposal falls under the Detailed Assessment Pathway, a final page will appear outlining the requirement to appoint a certified native vegetation assessor and the additional steps you need to take to progress your proposal.
If you would like an estimate of the offset obligations associated with your proposal, based on modelled condition scores, you can generate a scenario test report by selecting ‘Download Scenario Test Report (PDF)’. It's important to note that these reports are intended solely for project planning purposes and cannot be used to support an application for approval.
In this next step, which is applicable for proposals under the Basic or Intermediate Assessment Pathways, You'll now encounter a page where you can provide responses to fulfill the majority of information requirements associated with applications to remove native vegetation.
To aid you in addressing these requirements, example responses are included in each text field. For more comprehensive guidance, consult the Native Vegetation Removal Regulations - Applicant's Guide, which is available on the NVR Map home page.
The responses you provide will be incorporated into the Native Vegetation Removal Report. Alternatively, if you choose not to address these requirements within NVR Map, ensure to include the information separately in your approval application.
When you're ready, click Next to proceed to the review and download page. Here, you'll be prompted to confirm that you've explored and implemented all practical options to avoid and minimize native vegetation removal. Declare that no further opportunities exist to reduce your proposal's impacts.
It is advisable to carefully review your clearing proposal at this point and consider opportunities to reduce your offset obligation and the associated costs, if feasible.
On the review and download page, you'll find the option to export your mapped removal features as a Shapefile. Simply click Export Features to initiate the export process. This is highly recommended for future use. Should modifications occur, you can upload the Shapefile into NVR Map later for easy editing and updating of mapped features.
Furthermore, on this same page, you can download your Native Vegetation Removal Report by clicking Download Report (PDF). Note that generating and downloading the report might take up to a minute, and it will be saved in your browser's downloads folder.
The Native Vegetation Removal Report is a crucial document for progressing your application for approval. It contains essential information and guidelines for the next steps in the process. The review and download page itself also provides clear instructions on how to proceed.
With that, we conclude this tutorial video on the NVR Map Native Vegetation Removal Tool. If you have any questions regarding the guidance material available on the NVR Map website, don't hesitate to reach out to the native vegetation support email address.
Thanks for taking the time to review this video.
Page last updated: 21/05/24