The Department of Planning provides support to Local Government to enable evidence-based planning decisions. Biodiversity and Conservation Division collaborated with Cessnock City Council in 2021-2022 to deliver environmental map layers (Environmental Lands Study) that facilitate council’s review of their Local Environment Plan. This dataset is one of those and delineates woody vegetation at fine scale across the 196,468-hectare Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA). All tenures were mapped excluding National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) estate because they are formally reserved and protected under Local Environment Plans and were outside of the scope of the Environmental Lands Study. Data is in vector format and was produced to a scale range of 1:500 – 1:3000 and captures individual trees or shrubs with diameters down to 3m whilst excluding and eliminating shadow effects. The dataset is an accurate fine-scale baseline woody dataset for the Cessnock LGA that is current with the image dates of 2017-19 in the east and 2011 for a small area in the far west. From here on the layer will require maintenance and updating as landuse and landcover changes over time. However, the layer’s accuracy means that maintenance and update requirements are minimal in terms of mapping expertise and resources. Either field verified data or newer high-resolution imagery can be used to perform maintenance and updating of the layer.

The Department of Planning provides support to Local Government to enable evidence-based planning decisions. Biodiversity and Conservation Division collaborated with Cessnock City Council in 2021-2022 to deliver environmental map layers (Environmental Lands Study) that facilitate council’s review of their Local Environment Plan. This dataset is one of those and is a consolidated vegetation mosaic refined by an accurate and fine scale Woody Non-woody (WNW) layer to enhance the spatial accuracy of the data. An audit of existing vegetation products was conducted and 11 datasets were selected for inclusion based upon their quality, currency and level of supporting validation information. Vegetation units from all 11 datasets were translated to the Eastern NSW PCT Classification (Connolly et al., 2021) that is publicly available as of June 2022. The vegetation mosaic contains all original and legacy information from each of the 11 contributing datasets where that information existed. The vegetation mosaic also contains the original translations to the pre-June 2022 PCT's that was undertaken by Cockerill et al. (2013) Both classifications are now linked to DPE’s full floristic survey data (734 plots) that occur within the Cessnock LGA. These are referenced to ground truth data that also have associated Threatened Ecological Communities assigned.

A vegetation survey, classification and mapping program of the Cessnock-Kurri region was carried out during 2006-07 by Stephen Bell and Colin Driscoll. The survey was principally to clarify the composition and distribution of three Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs). Nearly 70000ha of land was examined between the foothills of the Watagan Range in the south, the Corrabare and Broken Back Ranges in the west, North Rothbury in the north, and the Wallis Creek floodplain in the east. The main aim of the study was to identify, classify and map all extant vegetation within the study area, as well as to provide a pre-1750 vegetation map of the area.; Vegetation Condition and Disturbed vegetation mapping components were also included, to assist in determining priorities for future rehabilitation of sensitive lands. VIS_ID 183

A vegetation survey, classification and mapping program of the Cessnock-Kurri region was carried out during 2006-07 by Stephen Bell and Colin Driscoll. The survey was principally to clarify the composition and distribution of three Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs). Nearly 70000ha of land was examined between the foothills of the Watagan Range in the south, the Corrabare and Broken Back Ranges in the west, North Rothbury in the north, and the Wallis Creek floodplain in the east. The main aim of the study was to identify, classify and map all extant vegetation within the study area, as well as to provide a pre-1750 vegetation map of the area.; Vegetation condition and Disturbed vegetation mapping components were also included, to assist in determining priorities for future rehabilitation of sensitive lands.; VIS_ID 184

The Department of Planning provides support to Local Government to enable evidence-based planning decisions. Biodiversity and Conservation Division collaborated with Cessnock City Council in 2021-2022 to deliver environmental map layers (Environmental Lands Study) that facilitate council’s review of their Local Environment Plan. This dataset is one of those and maps all streambanks of larger streams in the 196,468-hectare Cessnock Local Government Area using the Strahler system to identify stream type. All tenures were mapped excluding National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) estate because they are formally reserved and protected under Local Environment Plans and were outside of the scope of the Environmental Lands Study. Data is in vector format and was produced to a scale range of 1:500 – 1:3000. The process for delineating streambanks for the Cessnock LGA began by mapping stream order, then adding LiDAR and NearMap imagery as a basemap. The technique of hillshading was then used to show the streambank top edge and topographic features of streambanks. All streams higher than 2nd order were buffered by 100m to create the area of interest (AoI) for mapping streambanks. High resolution Light (or Laser) Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) was converted to a hillshade to facilitate the delineation of 3rd order and above streambanks. Streambanks were mapped at a scale of 1:3,000 as lines using a pen graphic tablet and the dataset saved to a file geodatabase. Streambanks were then buffered by 40m (as required by the Water Management Act 2000) and any areas where streambanks where more than 80m apart were eliminated.

The Department of Planning provides support to Local Government to enable evidence-based planning decisions. Biodiversity and Conservation Division collaborated with Cessnock City Council in 2021-2022 to deliver environmental map layers (Environmental Lands Study) that facilitate council’s review of their Local Environment Plan. This dataset is one of those and maps all streambanks of larger streams in the 196,468-hectare Cessnock Local Government Area using the Strahler system to identify stream type. All tenures were mapped excluding National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) estate because they are formally reserved and protected under Local Environment Plans and were outside of the scope of the Environmental Lands Study. Data is in vector format and was produced to a scale range of 1:500 – 1:3000. The process for delineating streambanks for the Cessnock LGA began by mapping stream order, then adding LiDAR and NearMap imagery as a basemap. The technique of hillshading was then used to show the streambank top edge and topographic features of streambanks. All streams higher than 2nd order were buffered by 100m to create the area of interest (AoI) for mapping streambanks. High resolution Light (or Laser) Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) was converted to a hillshade to facilitate the delineation of 3rd order and above streambanks. Streambanks were mapped at a scale of 1:3,000 as lines using a pen graphic tablet and the dataset saved to a file geodatabase.