Photo: Stephanie Brown
Overview
Victoria is the fastest growing state in Australia and is expected to support 11.2 million people by 2056, with 9 million living in Melbourne. The city’s growth, in combination with climate change, presents complex challenges to ensure Melbourne becomes more sustainable as it grows. Cooling and greening Melbourne, and increasing sustainability and resilience through green infrastructure, is a priority for the Victorian Government.
We need to plan for green infrastructure the same way we do for gray infrastructure, so we can:
- enhance urban amenity and quality
- improve landscape connectivity
- build resilience to climate change.
These more liveable outcomes will be achieved by:
- protecting existing green spaces
- creating new opportunities for urban greening
- improving water-sensitive urban design
- greening buildings (roofs, facades and walls)
- increasing permeable surfaces.
The Victorian Government has identified the importance of green infrastructure to create more liveable and climate-adapted communities. Our approach is outlined in our key strategic policies and plans highlighted below.
Plan Melbourne outlines the Victorian Government’s commitment to cooling and greening Melbourne. Delivering on this commitment is a priority Plan Melbourne action.
Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 recognises the urban heat island effect, the role of climate change, the benefits of urban greening, and the challenge of greening a rapidly-growing city that is also becoming denser (Outcome 6 – Melbourne is a sustainable and resilient city, Direction 6.4 – Make Melbourne cooler and greener).
The Plan Melbourne Implementation Plan commits to developing a whole-of-government approach to cooling and greening Melbourne (Action 91). It is a short- to medium-term action (0-5 years).
Action 91 sets out a broad work program to expand and enhance Melbourne’s urban forest. This includes improving spatial data, supporting councils with their urban forest strategies, setting regional targets, establishing a green infrastructure grants program, developing new guidelines and regulations to support greening subdivisions and developments, creating green infrastructure demonstration projects, greening state-owned land and investigating how alternative water sources can support greening initiatives.
Action 91 has a number of interdependencies including the metropolitan open space strategy (Action 93), integrated water management planning (Action 89), land use framework plans (Action 1), improved streetscapes (Action 60), updated precinct structure plan guidelines (Action 20), and the review of planning and building systems to support environmentally sustainable development outcomes (Action 80). These actions will also benefit from greener streetscapes and ongoing urban vegetation and heat mapping.
DELWP projects
View the Cooling and Greening Melbourne projects
No results found
Other projects and partnerships
Find out about our other green projects and partnerships
No results found
Benefits of urban greening
FAQs
What is green infrastructure?
Green infrastructure describes the green spaces, trees, soils and water systems that intersperse, connect and provide vital life support for all of us and the other various fauna species within our urban environments.
Melbourne’s network of green spaces provides opportunities for people to enjoy frequent contact with nature in urban environments as well as providing important areas of habitat for biodiversity conservation. This network includes a range of public and private green infrastructure assets, including:
- parks and reserves
- backyards and gardens
- green roofs and walls
- rain gardens
- waterway and transport corridors that provide important green linkages.
Why is green infrastructure important?
Green infrastructure is essential for community health and wellbeing and for maintaining the natural ecosystems on which we depend. It reduces the impacts of climate events such as flooding and heatwaves, and underpins our economy in areas such as health, liveability and industry.
In dense urban environments, the urban heat island effect can cause urban areas to be up to four degrees Celsius hotter than surrounding non-urban areas. The built environment can absorb, trap and, in some cases, directly emit heat due to the prevalence of heat-absorbing materials such as dark-coloured pavements, roofs, concrete, urban canyons trapping hot air, and a lack of shade and green space. Green infrastructure reduces urban heat through both shading and evapotranspiration. Temperature decreases of even 1-2°C can have a significant impact on reduced heat related morbidity and mortality.
Greening the city can also help protect waterways and reduce flooding through improved stormwater management, improve air quality, and reduce energy costs.
Green infrastructure supports biodiversity and enhances liveability and community wellbeing by connecting people to nature, which is fundamental to the physical and mental health of every Victorian.
Page last updated: 14/08/20