Environment projects

Plastic Wise Merri-bek

We are committed to reducing single-use plastics in line with global concern about the impact plastic pollution has on our waterways, and marine environment.

We developed a Plastic Wise Policy (DOC 87Kb) in April 2019. The Policy ensures we move away from using certain single-use plastic items at Council and community events, as well as Council facilities and services.

What single-use plastic items are included in the policy?

Single-use plastic cups, plates*, bowls and cutlery*
Plastic straws*
Plastic and polystyrene* take-away containers
Single-use bottled water
Single-use plastic bottled drinks, where alternative packaging exists (e.g.soft drink in cans)
Single-use disposable coffee cups. Note, these are lined with plastic or compostable plastic.
Balloons and plastic bags

* A number of these items were banned by the Victorian Government in 2023. If still in circulation, these are not permitted.

Plastic Wise Events and Festivals

The policy applies to events and festivals run by Council, as well as community or public events held on Council land, that require a permit.

Your support and leadership as an event organiser, stallholder, sponsor or volunteer is important to reducing single-use plastics.

For support meeting the Policy requirements, see the information sheet below.

Plastic Wise events and festivals info sheet (PDF 353Kb)

Plastic Wise events and festivals info sheet (DOCX 153Kb)

Plastic Wise Sports Clubs

Council worked with sports clubs to start transitioning to the Policy in 2022, eliminating targeted single-use plastic items.

Clubs were asked to make a voluntary pledge to become ‘Proudly Plastic Wise’, reducing and eliminating targeted single-use plastic items where possible. Council began working with clubs to progress some of the more complex elements of the Policy.
- Single-use plastic cups, plates*, bowls and cutlery*
- Plastic straws* (exempt for medical needs)
- Plastic and polystyrene* take-away containers
- Single-use bottled water (Council will support clubs to transition)
- Single-use plastic bottled drinks, where alternative packaging exists (e.g.soft drink in cans)
- Single-use disposable coffee cups. Note, these are lined with plastic or compostable plastic.
- Balloons and plastic bags
* A number of these items were banned by the Victorian Government in 2023. If still in circulation, these are not permitted.
See the Plastic Wise Sports Clubs information sheet (word doc) (PDF 372Kb) for a list of alternatives to single-use plastic.

Download Sports Club info sheet (PDF) (PDF 372Kb)

Plastic Wise Businesses

Learn more about Plastic Wise Businesses

Achieving Zero Carbon in the Planning Scheme (ESD V2.0)

Achieving Zero Carbon within the Planning Scheme - ESD V2.0 aims to improve environmental planning outcomes within the municipality and support Merri-bek City Council’s Zero Carbon 2040 Framework and Action Plan.

This initiative aims to review, investigate and elevate the current requirements and ensure an effective transition for new development applications to support a zero carbon Merri-bek by 2040.

Find out more about Achieving Zero Carbon within the Planning Scheme - ESD V2.0

Brunswick Community Battery

Merri-bek City Council has installed a community battery in Brunswick. The 500kWh battery will generate revenue that will subsidise more low-income households to install solar panels on their homes.

The battery has been supported by The Australian Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program, and Merri-bek City Council. The battery was delivered with Origin Energy, electricity distributor CitiPower, and the Merri-bek community.

The revenue generated from this battery will be used to help reduce energy bills and emissions in Merri-bek’s community.

Location

The battery is located at the back of the car park at 797 Sydney Rd, Brunswick and is just off the Upfield bike path.

We assessed several Council-managed sites within Brunswick for the community battery.

The site assessment considered:
- safety
- practicality
- the ability to construct at the location
- electricity network constraints
- impacts to residents and businesses
Through this process, 797 Sydney Rd was identified as the most suitable site for the battery.

The battery uses 2-3 carpark spaces (4% of total spaces). The design and installation were completed to ensure safety standards were met and impacts on traffic flow and parking were minimised.

The battery enclosure features a mural by local artist Yasuko Toda. Toda’s artwork creatively tells the story of the flow of solar energy from the battery to the community.

Benefits of the Brunswick Community Battery

The Brunswick community battery produces a number of benefits.

By buying energy when it is cheap and supplying energy to the grid when it is expensive, the community battery will earn revenue.
The battery can operate in a way to maximise network stability. It can smooth unexpected changes in voltage. This can increase the reliability of power supply within the electricity network. The battery operation will reduce emissions by enabling greater use of renewable generation in the grid.
The money made from buying and selling energy will be invested into our solar subsidy program. This program helps install solar panels on the homes of people on a low-income.

To learn more about support available to make the clean energy switch in your home visit zerocarbonmerri-bek.org.au.

Questions and answers about the Brunswick Community Battery

The operational model we have used aims to maximise financial benefits through charging the battery from the grid while electricity is cheap and discharging electricity back into the grid when prices are high.

Money made from the battery, after operational costs are covered, will be directly re-invested as additional funding into our solar subsidy program. This program subsidises access to solar installations for residents on a low-income.

Visit the program website for more information: Financial support for residents on a low income - Zero Carbon Merri-bek.

The battery also aims to achieve a number of indirect benefits including network stability and facilitating greater renewable energy operation on the grid.
These batteries are bigger than a home battery. A typical household battery (often used to store rooftop solar energy) might have a storage capacity of up to about 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh). This might be enough to power your average household for a day.

On the other hand, community batteries range from 100 kWh to 5 megawatt-hours (MWh) in capacity, enough to power a small neighbourhood for a few hours during peak demand, typically in the evening.

The Brunswick community battery has a storage capacity of 500kWh. This is approximately the power used over 24 hours by 25 average households.
Community batteries can be owned by electricity distribution businesses or third parties such as community energy groups, electricity retailers, and private investors.

The Brunswick Community Battery will be owned by Merri-bek City Council, with an energy retailer operating the battery on Council’s behalf.
The battery has inbuilt air conditioning units to keep the battery cells cool when in operation. Like air conditioners in homes and businesses, they will make some noise when in operation.

Noise levels from the battery are approximately 70db at 1m from the units (comparable to local traffic noise). Additional sound attenuation panelling has been installed in the fencing to further limit noise.
The grant funding agreement requires that the battery be installed in Brunswick.

We undertook a site selection process that considered multiple factors. These included:
- practicality,
- the ability to construct at the location
- impacts to residents and businesses
- electricity network constraints
Through this process, 797 Sydney Rd was identified as the most suitable site for the battery within Brunswick.
The battery was installed between Sept 2025 and April 2026.

Council worked with suppliers to minimise impacts to car parking provisions and access during construction.

Cooling the Upfield Corridor

Responding to the impacts of the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) is one of our emerging priorities. You can find out more about the Urban Heat Island Effect on our Climate change in Merri-bek page.

Our Urban Heat Island Effect Action Plan (2016 to 2026) showed the Upfield Corridor has some of the hottest surface temperatures in Merri-bek. The border of the Upfield Corridor has Merri Creek to the north, Barrow Street to the east, the Upfield Rail Line to the west, and Park Street to the south. The site stretches across Coburg and Brunswick.

To address this issue we created the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan (2018 to 2029) (PDF 10Mb). (PDF 10Mb) This aims to introduce water and landscaping to the Upfield Corridor. It also aims to reduce land surface temperatures and to improve amenity in public areas.

Delivering the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan

In April 2018 we opened community consultation about the Upfield Corridor Action Plan. This consultation period included two community consultation sessions and an online form. We closed consultation in May 2018.

We presented our councillors with the final draft of the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan (2018 to 2029) in October 2018. Council endorsed this plan.

Moonee Ponds Creek chain of ponds

Imagine the Moonee Ponds Creek as a natural waterway in lush green parkland instead of a drain.

We have endorsed this plan for the Moonee Ponds Creek with the Moonee Valley Council. The chain of ponds plan will turn the Moonee Ponds Creek into a vibrant destination. The creek will become healthy place that supports native plants and animals. It will also provide green space for recreation and prevent flooding.

Fifteen organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2018. In this memorandum they all committed to the ‘Chain of Ponds Collaboration’. This was a historic new agreement that to help transform the Moonee Ponds Creek. The collaboration includes:
- representatives from local and state government
- community groups
- not-for-profits
- water authorities
- research organisations
It is in the interests of each of these organisations to improve the Moonee Ponds Creek.

Key project dates
To find out more contacmooneeponds.creek@citywestwater.com.au or go to the Chain of Ponds Collaboration website. To speak to our team about this project, email openspace@moreland.vic.gov.au or contact Council on 9240 1111.
One of our key project priorities is the naturalisation of a section of the Moonee Ponds Creek. This area is next to Brosnan Crescent in Strathmore. It also covers a section between Herbert and Margaret Streets in Oak Park.

Our consultants E2 Design Lab and Realm Studio created the final naturalisation report. It is now available to the public in the documents section on this page. This report includes the concept plans, cost-benefit analysis and business case. The report recommends a mix of naturalisation interventions. These interventions include:
- some ponding
- opportunities to connect with the waterway
- improved path connections
- elevated shared paths over the waterway
- vegetation and concrete boring to stimulate successional naturalisation.
The report shows positive social, environmental and economic results that can come from these works. It shows these potential results through a detailed cost benefit analysis. The estimate of the cost of delivering the project is between $6.5 and $8.5 million. Project partners are exploring an adjustable program of works. With an adjustable program we could deliver the works and maximise benefits. We could do this in line with funding opportunities.

In June 2020 the State Government announced they will contribute $5 million to this project. We are working with all members of the Chain of Ponds Collaboration to take the next step in this plan. This next step will be from concept plan to implementation.
Work has already started on this plan, including:
- recreational access and creek activation from Merri-bek Road to Hopetoun Avenue in Brunswick West
- the naturalisation, feasibility study, and business case for Margaret Street to Herbert Street in Oak Park. For more on this read the Moonee Ponds Creek Naturalisation Report section.
- re-vegetation, access and drainage improvements at JP Fawkner Reserve in Oak Park
- access improvements at Bass Street in Pascoe Vale
- re-vegetation works at Kernan Street in Pascoe Vale
- access improvements at Esslement Reserve in Pascoe Vale
- re-vegetation at Holbrook Reserve in Brunswick West
- re-vegetation at Union Street Escarpment in Brunswick West
To find out more contact mooneeponds.creek@citywestwater.com.au or go to the Chain of Ponds Collaboration website. To speak to our team about this project, email openspace@moreland.vic.gov.au or contact Council on 9240 1111.
- April 2019 to June 2021: Recreational access and creek activation from Merri-bek Road to Hopetoun Avenue in Brunswick West
- April 2019 to June 2020: Re-vegetation, access and drainage improvements at JP Fawkner in Oak Park
- May 2019 to March 2020: Naturalisation Feasibility Study for Margaret Street to Herbert Street in Oak Park
- June 2019: Access improvements at Bass Street in Pascoe Vale
- June 2020: The announcement of $5 million State Government funding for the naturalisation of the Moonee Ponds Creek
- TBC: Next Chain of Ponds Collaboration meeting

Street tree planting program

In 2017 we endorsed the Urban Forest Strategy 2017-27 (DOC 20Mb) to deliver practical measures that guide the sustainable planning, planting, management, resourcing and protection of vegetation across Merri-bek. The term urban forest refers to all the trees and other vegetation in public and private spaces. It includes things like street and park trees, front and backyard vegetation, grasslands, shrubs, wetlands, nature strips, balcony plants, and green roofs and walls.

The background work we did in preparation for this strategy has improved our understanding of the current urban forest, its challenges and identified opportunities for greening across the municipality. You can find out more about the issue of heat and how street tree planting can make a difference on our Climate change in Merri-bek page.

The key actions of the Urban Forest Strategy include:
- Doubling canopy-cover across Merri-bek to 29% by 2050 to mitigate the impacts of heatwaves.
- Improving the health and successful establishment of Council trees.
- Protecting existing trees through improved planning and enforcement measures.
- Working closely with community groups and residents to support greening initiatives while creating positive community attitudes towards the urban forest.
- Continuing to plant canopy trees in our streets and parks to fill vacant sites and replace under-performing trees.
- Improving tree health and cooling through the integration of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD).
Minchin, Guthrie and Cohuna Streets in Brunswick West have been identified as providing a great opportunity to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). Planting trees in these areas will also improve amenity and habitats. We have proposed planing trees in the middle of the road to avoid services like power, water, gas and sewers and to maximise tree canopy cover.
Trees on Council-owned land thrive best if they are valued and supported by the local community.

Community custodianship of urban trees encourages the community to be more patient with tree growth. They also can fear fallen limbs less and consider autumn leaves and seed pods less problematic. For community custodianship to work well we still need to sustain and maintain our street tree assets.

If you want to know more or have questions about our street tree planting program you can email info@moreland.vic.gov.au or call us on 8311 4300.

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