GREENING VINCENT

2 DECEMBER 2015

Inner-urban Council

Established, but significant redevelopment occurring

Many heritage buildings, character streets

Increasing traffic (transit corridors to the CBD)

Families, professionals, low car ownership, preference for active and

public transport – demand for walkable neighbourhoods, streets that

are safe to cycle

Progressive Council, opportunities to be innovative

Step 1 – Set the Context

• Loss of canopy cover – amenity / biodiversity

• Urban heat island effect

• Storm impacts, run-off, ground water quality

• Liveable neighbourhoods / community health

• Improved air quality / ground water quality

• Reduced storm impacts / increased infiltration

• Removal of atmospheric carbon

• Most land privately owned – no control over

tree removal

• Access to tools / technology

• Cost

Step 2 – Identify Drivers / Benefits / Barriers

Look back to go forward:

• Historical landscape = wetlands

• Drained for residential development, industry, market gardens

• Almost no remnant native vegetation

• Parks and reserves designed in European style

• Loss of environmental services, disrupted hydrological cycles

• Loss of biodiversity & connection to nature

• Increasing density & hard structures / loss of trees & amenity

• Urban heat island effect compounded by warming climate

Community demand:

• Consultation: Strategic Plan, Sustainable Environment Strategy

• Name aligned to community vision – Greening Plan

• It’s about people and places: clean air, clean water, quality POS

that is useable in summer, nature play, shady streets, liveable

neighbourhoods

Step 3 – Articulate the Reasons

Pre-existing plans, strategies programs:

• Sustainable Environment Strategy

• Water conservation plan

• Tree programs

Information sources:

• Significant tree inventory

• Storm water inundation patterns

• Climate change modelling

Existing support:

• Prevailing community attitude

• Local greening groups

• Council Members

Step 4 – Assess Existing Assets

LiDAR data - Canopy mapping

• 11.7% canopy cover (58% of this on Council land)

• 22.6% vegetation cover

Intramaps - Green space calculations

• Future greenways

• Potential new green POS

• Potential canopy cover

Demographic data & planning schemes – future needs

• Additional green space needed

• Prioritising of streets for tree planting

History & Heritage

• Character streetscapes

• Unique Town Centre character

Step 5 – Know the Data

Step 6 – Translate the Data

Protect, enhance and effectively manage our natural and built

environment to:

• Deliver liveable neighbourhoods, a healthy community and a

healthy environment

• Mitigate climate change and the urban heat island effect

• Increase biodiversity and community connection to nature

2050 Targets:

- 20% canopy cover

- 30 new greenways (51 km)

- 3.36 hectares of green POS per 1000 residents

5 year implementation plan

Step 7 – Vision, Goals, Targets, Timeline

Community visioning – series of community workshops

Sustainability Advisory Group – mix of community representatives,

elected members and staff

Advertising of draft Plan – newspapers & electronic media

Step 8 – Community Engagement

Buy-in (community & Council support)

Budget (staff time & consultant fees)

Know-how (assign relevant responsibilities & identify where

external expertise may be required)

Step 9 – Final Checklist

Implementation Plan:

- Identifies low hanging fruit – immediate wins

- Breaks large projects into manageable chunks

- Works in with other strategies and plans

- Assigns relevant responsibilities (across the organisation)

- Includes indicative costs for future budgets

- Builds in flexibility to allow for ongoing community consultation and

adjustments in response

- To be reviewed every 5 years

Step 10 – Prioritise & Implement