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                    Greening the City Project

                    A person planting a tree
                    The Greening the City Project is the largest revegetation project that the City of Melbourne has ever undertaken – approximately 150,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses will be planted in an attempt to green our city and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

                    This project is a partnership between City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government and is funded through the Victorian Government's Working for Victoria initiative. 

                    The ambitious revegetation project will benefit the community, support biodiversity, increase canopy cover and create jobs. The City of Melbourne is committed to supporting those affected most by the COVID-19 pandemic. Across a six-month period, revegetation works will be undertaken by over 50 newly recruited people who would otherwise be unemployed as a result of the pandemic. 

                    The project commenced in June 2020 with the selection and preparation of sites including herbicide application, deep ripping, mulching and litter collection. This will be followed by planting and site maintenance such as hand weeding, watering, and works to protect the trees and plants from pests and diseases as they grow.

                    Approximately 150,000 trees, shrubs and grasses will be planted across various sites including at Royal Park, Parkville, and Dynon Road and Wildlife Reserve in West Melbourne. Species selected are all native or indigenous to the area and include: 

                    • 116,000 grasses and wildflowers, such as kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra), longhair plume grass (Dichelachne crinita), cut-leaf daisy (Brachyscome multifida), common everlasting (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) and chocolate lily (Arthropodium strictum)
                    • 30,000 shrubs, such as sweet bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), austral indigo (Indigofera australis), seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana subsp. Candolleana) and nodding saltbush (Einadia nutans)
                    • 4000 trees such as river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and yarra gum (Eucalyptus yarraensis) – a near threatened species in Victoria. 

                    The Greening the City Project aligns with the City of Melbourne’s Nature in the City Strategy and Urban Forest Strategy. 

                    24,000m² of understorey habitat will be created, increasing understorey vegetation in the city by six per cent. This is in a significant step towards City of Melbourne’s goal to increase understorey cover by 20 per cent by 2027. Understorey plants live below the tree canopy and include small trees, shrubs, vines and grasses. This layer of plants is a key contributor to a healthy ecosystem and provides particularly important habitat for small birds and insects.

                    Additionally, as the new trees grow they will increase the city’s canopy coverage and help reduce the urban heat island effect by creating more shade. This will make a big contribution towards City of Melbourne’s target of 40 per cent tree canopy cover on public land by 2040 and is also an important step in preparing our city for climate change.

                    Urban forest data collection

                    As part of this Working for Victoria funded project, 10 people have also been employed to undertake tree trunk diameter measurements of City of Melbourne managed trees in streets and parks. This information is important for determining growth rates of trees and the necessary canopy growth required to achieve our canopy cover target. Approximately 45,000 trees will be surveyed across a six month period, which will occur at the same time as the revegetation works.

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