A Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) is a comprehensive, site-specific document detailing the potential environmental impacts and risks of a proposed development and how these may be reduced through management strategies and site practices.
The City of Whittlesea has prepared the SEMP Guidelines and Standards Manual together with a template. We've designed these documents to help developers and contractors understand the requirements, acceptable standard measures and options for developing satisfactory SEMP submissions for Council approval.
The standards and guidelines cover various aspects of site management and offer a range of acceptable standard measures and options to eliminate or minimise the impacts of construction activities on the environment and human health.
All construction projects in the City of Whittlesea must obtain an approved Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) before any work begins.
A SEMP may also require approval from other organisations such as:
- Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (formerly DELWP)
- Melbourne Water
- Environment Protection Authority.
Developers must seek and obtain these approvals separately. However, Council approval is still mandatory.
The SEMP template must be used together with the SEMP Guidelines and Standards Manual.
You'll find additional guidance on preparing an effective SEMP in the factsheet located in the SEMP document downloads section on this page.
All SEMP applications must be submitted to the Development Engineering department at development.engineering@whittlesea.vic.gov.au.
Where additional information is needed or the submission is inadequate, Council may request further details and a resubmission.
Our officers conduct regular inspections to check compliance against the approved SEMP. Where non-compliance exists, appropriate action will be taken, including guidance and direction to comply.
Enforcement, where required by Council and other relevant authorities, will proceed if breaches of legislation or approved SEMP occur.
For further information contact the Development Engineering department at development.engineering@whittlesea.vic.gov.au or phone 03 9217 2170.
Local government requirements
Clause 53.18-6 Site Management Objectives
Protection of drainage infrastructure and receiving waters from sedimentation and contamination, and protection of the site and surrounding area from environmental degradation prior to and during construction.
Clause 56.08-1 Site Management Objectives Standard C26
These provisions require that the subdivision applicants describe how the site will be managed to minimise environmental impacts.
Clause 52.17 Native Vegetation
A permit is required to remove non-native trees over a certain size. The objective of the native vegetation clearing controls is 'no net loss' in the contribution that native vegetation makes to Victoria’s biodiversity.
General Environmental Duty
Victoria’s Environment Protection Act (the Act) came into effect on 1 July 2021. The laws feature new responsibilities called duties.
The General Environmental Duty (GED) is the centrepiece of the Act, creating an obligation to understand risks and harms to human health and the environment from activities you undertake or engage in. It also means you must take reasonable steps to eliminate or minimise these risks and harms to human health and the environment from your activities.
Learn more in the following Environment Protection Authority publications.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria publications and guidance about construction
EPA Publication 1834: Civil construction, building and demolition guide. This guide replaces the following publications:
- Environmental guidelines for major construction sites (publication 480, February 1996)
- Doing it right on subdivisions: Temporary environmental protection measures for subdivision construction sites (publication 960, September 2004)
- Reducing stormwater pollution from construction sites (publication 981, May 2005)
- Noise control guidelines (Section 2) (publication 1254, October 2008)
- Noise from large residential subdivision or urban development sites (publication 1264, November 2008)