Nature strips play a vital role in our streetscapes by beautifying streets and contributing to our natural environment. The City of Whittlesea has drafted proposed new Nature Strip Garden Guidelines and has been seeking community input on the proposed changes since late June.
With the aim of empowering residents to actively shape their surroundings, the updated guidelines offer greater opportunities to modify nature strips adjacent to homes.
The draft guidelines aim to support the creation of more liveable neighbourhoods while taking safety into account. They provide clarity on what modifications can be made, striking a balance between greenery and the safety of road users and pedestrians. Under the proposed changes, residents would be able to plant shrubs and edible crops, while limiting the use of materials that can have a detrimental environmental impact such as artificial turf.
Feedback from previous consultations with the community, as well as benchmarking with other Councils across Victoria has been used to develop the draft of the new guidelines.
Have your say
Read the draft Nature Strip Garden Guidelines and provide your feedback online at engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/naturestrip. Consultation will continue until 13 August 2023.
All feedback will be considered before the guidelines are finalised. It is anticipated that the new guidelines will come into effect on 1 October 2023.
