Residents fear for street gardens under City of Port Phillip plan

The rise of street gardening gave Melbourne’s communities a lift in troubled Covid times, but now the City of Port Phillip is threatening $1000 fines.

Emma Cutter with a lush nature strip garden. Picture: David Caird

Inner-city residents fear the loss of precious street gardens under new council rules that have been dubbed“overblown”.

Creating gardens on nature strips proved very popular during pandemic shutdowns, but the increased activity has raised concerns about public safety.

City of Port Phillip has released a 21-page document on draft nature strip guidelines that stipulate precise distances for planting away from kerbs, driveways, and things like telecommunications service pits.

South Melbourne resident Emma Cutter said the huge clearances required around trees and other objects meant even the biggest nature strips would be reduced to hosting only a few plants.

“Smaller trees need a 1.5m radius around them which essentially is about 8 sqm, while the largest trees need a 2.5sqm radius, which is about 20 sqm,” she said.

Ms Cutter said the council’s guidelines also ruled out planting in tree squares, which are small green spaces surrounded by pavement.

Emma Cutter is leading a campaign to save street gardens. Picture: David Caird

“Safety is really important, but there needs to be a balance, it needs to be workable for the community,” she said.

“This is an overblown response to their need for safety.”

Ms Cutter, who founded local urban greening outfit The Heart Gardening Project, said members were also upset that council had threatened a resident with a $1000 fine unless she removed a garden bed from the nature strip and ivy from a footpath.

She said the rise in street gardening had brought the community together in troubled times.

“It’s such a positive influence on everyone, such a beautiful thing to talk about, and that’s what is being taken away,” Ms Cutter said.

“It engages, it inspires, it creates joy – and there’s plenty of scientific evidence that says diverse planting has a positive effect on humans.”

Port Phillip mayor Marcus Pearl said that safety and accessibility had to be maintained on all streets for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and workers amid the rise in nature strip gardening.

“Officers are not intending to remove existing non-compliant gardens, but if a garden is found to be unsafe, we would need to look at options to ensure the gardens meet safety standards,” he said.

“Tree health is a key consideration when assessing existing nature strip gardens, and council officers will work with the community to find a solution that is appropriate for safety and tree health.”

“Removing a garden would be a last-resort option if the garden is unable to be made safe.”

Mr Pearl said the draft guidelines updated ones developed in 2013.

Community feedback will be accepted until midnight on December 15.