Landscape Master Plan Report - Moorabool Shire Council

Essence Bacchus Marsh – Landscape Master Plan ReportDesign PhilosophyThe landscape design aims to create a high quality, attractive and contemporary estate that will providefuture residents with aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces.The township of Bacchus Marsh with its mixture of peri-urban and semi-rural living and the character of theexisting site provides a variety of elements to draw ideas from to create a distinctive landscape that isresponsive to its environmental context.The proposed landscape design objectives are:• to preserve the local character inherent in the remnant vegetation zones and enhance existingstands through management strategies such as conservation, eradication of rabbits, revegetation ofunderstorey planting, control of woody weeds and retention of fallen timber by prohibiting firewoodcollection;• a range of reliable and native and indigenous plant species will be utilised to create a habitat fornative flora and fauna while also enhancing the local character;• the use of a range of reliable exotic trees to highlight the entry to the estate and in east-west streetsto maximise solar access;• to design with a sensitivity to the site’s topography, highlighting views with formal avenue planting instreets;• to use materials and recommend ongoing management practices that are environmentally andfinancially sustainable and• to provide an open space that will offer a range of recreational facilities that are of robust and highquality design, are attractive, functional, safe and accessible to people of all abilitiesProposed TreatmentsGriffith Street FrontageGriffith Street is considered a significant thoroughfare route leading into Bacchus Marsh. Given the existingand proposed residential development along this corridor, it is important to create a distinctive andconsistent landscape treatment for this area.An access street is proposed to service the lots fronting onto Griffith Street with a planted median inbetween the access road and Griffith Street.Entry BoulevardThe entry boulevard is proposed to be a 22m road reservation, allowing sufficient width for a landscapingwithin a central median and nature strips. The estate entry will be highlighted through the use of soft andhard landscaping with feature planting and stone walls. The main boulevard will consist of a formal avenueof Pyrus calleryana (Ornamental Pear).Angophora costata (Smooth-barked Apple), a medium to large sized tree with an over-arching canopy isproposed along the collector road on the western boundary of the estate.Street TreesStreet trees play a major role in contributing to the character and amenity of a neighbourhood. At maturity,they form a living architectural element that is vital to the creation of sightlines, framing significant viewsand providing contrast to and softening the surrounding built elements. They provide seasonal interest,shade, habitat for fauna and extend the character of the existing indigenous vegetation into the urbanfabric.Species will be carefully selected from a range of trees known to be reliable forms, drought-resistant, windresistant and suited to the Bacchus Marsh environment.Tree planting in streets will be undertaken as follows:• Advanced trees (minimum 45 litre), healthy specimens at time of planting. Larger trees will be usedwhere necessary, with an agreed establishment period;• A mix of hardy exotic and native species will be used;• Best practice establishment and maintenance will be implemented as agreed, and generally over atwo summer period with adequate watering and protection during this time;• Trees will be healthy disease-free specimens to the specified size and installed using best practicehorticultural standards;3