We want to grow tree canopy cover in Bayside from 16% to 30% by 2040.
Council adopted an Urban Forest Strategy Precinct Plan for each Bayside suburb in February 2024.
Making Bayside more tree-mendous
Bayside’s Urban Forest Strategy aims to deliver urgent, meaningful action on climate change and enhance and protect our living environment. A key action of the Urban Forest Strategy is to develop precinct plans for each Bayside suburb to guide local tree planting and greening, prioritising the areas that need it most. Beaumaris was the first precinct plan developed and was adopted by Council in February 2023.
Over seven weeks from late August 2023, we heard from more than 500 members of our community about our Urban Forest Precinct Plans. Tehir feedback helped to shape the final Precicnt Plans, which were adopted by Council in February 2024. Select a suburb below to view its Precinct Plan.
Bayside’s Urban Forest Strategy was developed in response to the need for urgent and meaningful action on climate change and was adopted by Council in February 2022 following extensive consultation with our community.
The Bayside Urban Forest Strategy identifies three major goals to increase and improve Bayside’s urban forest and the functions it serves.
- Increase the municipal tree canopy cover from 16% to 30% by 2040.
- Raise awareness of the biodiversity gains that can be provided in backyards, front yards, nature strips and beyond and support the community to increase vegetation cover across Bayside.
- Substantially increase understorey planting, including shrubs, small trees and all other elements that occupy the vegetation layer below the canopy of taller trees, throughout Council streets, parks and reserves to improve native biodiversity, provide habitat and food sources for a range of fauna.
The implementation of the Urban Forest Strategy has already commenced with more than 2,000 indigenous street and park trees planted in addition to the 1,400 trees that Council plants each year.
Developing precinct plans is a key action from the Bayside Urban Forest Strategy to identify specific ways to protect, manage, and grow tree canopy and vegetation cover within each Bayside suburb.
Each precinct plan is informed by community consultation and provides set targets to respond to the individual needs, challenges, and aspirations of the locality.
We created the precinct plans to identify the local areas of greatest need, so we can investigate ways to respond and prioritise planting in these areas.
The prime objective of the precinct plans is to prioritise areas of greatest need, including areas with the lowest existing percentage canopy tree cover, as well as areas that are strategically located to mitigate potential urban heat island effects (including within major activity centres that are experiencing increased density and construction activity), areas of declining canopy or aging trees, areas where vegetation can be planted to improve habitat and provide habitat corridors, highly trafficked pedestrian routes and gaps or vacancies in public planting.
The growth of our urban forest is fundamental in connecting us to nature, contributing to the liveability of our suburbs and integral to maintaining Bayside’s neighbourhood character.
There are currently around 66,000 public trees spread across Bayside. However, since 2014, it is estimated that our tree canopy has decreased by 0.82%. Increasing tree and vegetation cover comes with many environmental and social benefits.
We want to make sure our canopy cover is increasing, and we want to do this the right way; by targeting areas in greatest need and planting species that will help restore ecological functions and enhance habitat and biodiversity outcomes.
Community feedback to develop the plans has helped us ensure the precinct plans will help support residents to green their own spaces, identify ideal locations for priority planting on both public and private land, improve the biodiversity functions of Bayside’s vegetation and to enhance each suburb’s visual and natural character.
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We planted more than 3,400 trees in streets and parks in 2022 – 2,000 more than usual!
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We manage and maintain around 66,000 trees across Bayside and this number is growing.
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Precinct Plans focus on the specific needs and challenges of each suburb, with plant species tailored to the local area.
Explore our urban forest
The future of our urban forest
View the adopted Precinct Plans for each Bayside suburb
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Black Rock Precinct Plan
Black Rock’s urban forest has a distinctive character dominated by native and locally indigenous trees and understorey planting, contributing to a highly biodiverse environment.
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Brighton Precinct Plan
Brighton’s urban forest features a rich tapestry of indigenous, native and exotic vegetation.
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Brighton East Precinct Plan
In Brighton East, you’ll find a distinctive urban forest with a wide variety of native, exotic and indigenous trees and plants.
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Cheltenham Precinct Plan
We're aiming to grow Cheltenham and Pennydale’s urban forest and enhance connections between private land and public open spaces.
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Hampton Precinct Plan
Hampton’s established urban forest features a rich park network and avenues of street trees.
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Hampton East Precinct Plan
We're aiming to substantially increase tree and understorey plantings, transforming Hampton East into a biodiverse area featuring avenues of large canopy street trees.
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Beaumaris Precinct Plan
The Precinct Plan for Beaumaris was the first to be developed and was endorsed by Council at its February 2023 meeting following community consultation.
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Highett Precinct Plan
The Highett Precinct Plan aims to significantly increase tree and understorey planting to provide local streets with vibrant greenery.
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Sandringham Precinct Plan
Sandringham’s established urban forest features a rich park network and avenues of street trees.
Indigenous vegetation
Native vegetation
Native species are plant species that did not prehistorically originate within Bayside but from other regions within Australia. We are proposing that the use of native plants be encouraged in areas where it is considered to have a positive impact on the surrounding environment and neighbourhood. This is of relevance where the existing plant(s) enhances neighbourhood character. Replanting like for like is encouraged in these areas.
Exotic vegetation
Exotic species are those plants that have been introduced and are not native to Australia and therefore did not historically occur within Bayside. We are proposing that the use of exotic plants is encouraged in areas where it is considered to have a positive impact on the surrounding environment and neighbourhood. This is of relevance where the existing plant(s) enhances neighbourhood character. Replanting like for like is encouraged in these areas.
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FAQs
Read frequently asked questions about the precinct plans.
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Talking trees
Details of drop-in sessions across Bayside to chat about the plans and provide feedback in person.
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Book a meeting
Request a meeting with Senior Strategic Planner, Bea Guevara to discuss the draft precinct plans.
Consultation closed on 15 October 2023.
Community members were able to participate via the following methods:
- Online survey
- Ask a question in the Q&A forum
- Email Rachael Hudson, Strategic Planning Coordinator, rhudson@bayside.vic.gov.au
- Phone 9599 4804
- Book a meeting email Rachael Hudson to arrange a meeting
- In person to the Corporate Centre at 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham
- Post to Bayside City Council, PO Box 27 Sandringham 3091
- Anonymously via the postal, phone or email details above.
Please note: Materials can be provided in accessible formats on request.
Closing date for submissions extended to 15 October 2023.
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