Amendment C189 - Canopy Trees in Merri-bek

Project progress
  1. AuthorisationAuthorisation
  2. ExhibitionExhibition
  3. Consider public submissionsConsider public submissions
  4. Panel by PapersPanel by Papers
  5. Panel reportPanel report
  6. Council decisionCouncil decision
  7. Submit to MinisterSubmit to Minister
  8. Final decisionFinal decision

About Amendment C189

Our vision for the future is to create sustainable neighbourhoods that promote the overall health and wellbeing of our residents. To help get closer towards this vision, we are taking actions towards greening our municipality by increasing the amount of trees and vegetation.

Amendment C189 implements this vision and actions of the Moreland Urban Forest Strategy, Moreland Urban Heat Island Action Plan and Medium Density Housing Review that recommend increasing tree canopy cover in new development to improve the quality of new dwellings to benefit those who live within them as well as the broader Merri-bek community.

Approval of Amendment C189

Amendment C189 was submitted to the Minister for Planning on 25 June 2020 following Council's resolution at the 12 February Council meeting.

Amendment C189 was approved by the Minister for Planning in July 2021 and came into operation on 1 September 2021, when the notice of approval was published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

You can view all the approved Amendment C189more documents here:

Amendment C189more appproved documents

What does Amendment C189 do?

Amendment C189 will introduce new landscaping requirements in the Merri-bek Planning Scheme. It will require new development to increase the number and size of trees being planted and that will:

  • Ensure canopy trees are included in the design of new dwellings
  • Ensure there is enough space for new canopy trees to be able to grow
  • Provide clearer direction to applicants and property owners when designing open spaces and landsaping in new multi dwelling development.

This amendment affects all land zoned Neighbourhood Residential Zone, General Residential Zone, Residential Growth Zone and Mixed Use Zone and focuses on development of two or more dwellings.

How will the Merri-bek Planning Scheme change?

The key changes to the Moreland Planning Scheme are:

  1. New tree planting requirements within the schedules to the Neighbourhood Residential, General Residential, Residential Growth and Mixed Use Zones as a new:
         - Objective
         - B13 Standard - Landscaping
         - Application requirement
         - Decision guidelines
  2. Update the Merri-bek Tree Planting Manual for Residential Zones to be consistent with the new tree planting requirements.
  3. Replace the reference document Moreland Landscape Guidelines (2009) with the updated Moreland Urban Forest Strategy (2017-2027)

Does this amendment protect existing trees?

Whilst this amendment does not specifically focus on the removal of existing trees, encouraging a design that factors in existing trees by Council officers will continue, with any retained trees counted towards the new tree canopy requirements.

Find the right tree for the right space

Our Tree Finder Tool assists in choosing an appropriate trees species and includes a number of searchable options including the purpose of the tree, size of the open space area and the size of a tree.

The Green Factor Tool, developed by the City of Melbourne, is an online tool that uses an in-built scoring system to assist landscape designers, architects, planners, ESD practitioners and developers improve the environmental outcomes of their design through scoring the effectiveness of the green infrastructure in the design of new buildings. The tool works by encouraging users to keep onsite vegetation and use canopy trees, green roofs and vertical greening with scoring forumula that prioritise the types of greening that will provide benefit to the public and the environment.

What else is Merri-bek doing to increase the number of trees?

We have committed to making changes to ensure canopy cover is also increasing in the public spaces through a number of initiatives including:

  • Strategic change in approach to plant larger trees to maximise canopy cover
  • Annual tree planting program commitment to planting 5,000 new trees per year
  • New Urban Forestry Officer to implement planting program
  • Prioritising planting within areas more vulnerable to urban heat
  • Improving irrigation of open spaces
  • Transitioning to zero carbon
  • Commitment to creating two new parks in this Council term

Where to inspect Amendment C189 documents?

All documents that support this amendment can be found under the heading 'About Amendment C189'.

The amendment can also be inspected on the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning website.

The planning authority must make a copy of every submission available at its office for any person to inspect free of charge for two months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

Further information

For further information or to discuss how the changes might affect you please phone our Strategic Planning Team on 9240 1111 or email Strategic Planning.

There are documents on this page in PDF-only format. If you have trouble opening or viewing a PDF document, contact us and we will arrange to provide the information in a format that suits your needs. See our accessibility page for further details

Privacy

For more information regarding privacy please visit our Privacy page.