The Alliance is working with the Department of Sustainability and Environment to ensure that the project has a net gain in the extent and quality of native vegetation, consistent with government policy. The objective is to as much as practically possible, avoid and minimise the removal of native vegetation. In several cases, the construction teams will dig underneath large trees, or sensitive areas, in order to avoid damage altogether. This has been a useful method for highly sensitive areas of grassland along Old Melbourne Road. As a last resort, the Alliance is working to ensure that if areas of vegetation need to be removed, this will be offset by rehabilitating and protecting other ecologically valuable sites. At the Maryvale site, sections of native vegetation have been fenced off for protection, additional vegetation will be planted, and a weed management plan implemented to control the growth of weeds.
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