Landscape and visual impact assessment for the Tweed Coast Road widening project

Challenge

As part of the Development Application process, Tweed Shire Council was required to assess the potential visual and landscape impacts of upgrading Stage 5 and 6 of the Tweed Coast Road in New South Wales. The project corridor passes through a valued coastal environment with nearby residences, commercial destinations, cultural heritage sites and ecological areas. The key challenge was to demonstrate how the proposed work could proceed while protecting visual amenity, minimising impacts on commercial destinations and buffering between existing cultural heritage sites.

Solution

SLR prepared the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) in line with the Transport of New South Wales Guideline for landscape character and visual impact assessment practice note EIA-N04. This was done so to ensure that the LVIA would meet the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) by incorporating landscape character analysis, geospatial viewshed modelling, and detailed receptor assessments for residents, road users, and visitors. Mitigation measures were identified, including landscape buffering and utilising the opportunity to improve the sense of arrival into the Tweed Coast Region. Our team’s role provided Tweed Shire Council with a clear and compliant assessment framework to support the development application (DA).

Impact

The LVIA provided Tweed Shire Council with a transparent and well-structured assessment that met statutory requirements and identified opportunities to enhance the Tweed Coast Road and improve its integration within its surrounding context. The findings showed that potential impacts could be effectively managed through design and mitigation, allowing the road widening project to progress while protecting scenic, cultural and landscape qualities that define of the coastal landscape identity of the Tweed Region.