Residential housing does not constitute 'infrastructure' within the definition of 'essential management' in Schedule 26 of the SPR, so clearing vegetation for firebreaks to protect adjoining houses is not exempt from development approval. A planning scheme may prescribe development as assessable development even where a regulation under s 232(1) of the SPA creates exceptions from assessable development, provided no regulation under s 232(2) precludes the planning scheme from doing so. The 'maintenance of infrastructure' in paragraph (e) of the definition of 'essential management' is limited to work done to the infrastructure itself and does not extend to constructing firebreaks to protect infrastructure.
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