A nature strip is the area of land between the boundary of a private property and the kerb, excluding any paved footpath area. Nature strips in Stonnington are usually grass, but might contain other plants or surfaces.

Nature strips are land that is owned by Council but must be maintained by residents under the General Local Law 2018.

To date, we have not had a clear position on what it will and won’t allow in terms of nature strip modification or a formal process which residents can follow to get permission to make changes. We know this has been frustrating for residents.

The policy doesn’t include specific rules on what species or types of plants you should plant, however we recommend:

• indigenous and Australian native plants to support biodiversity
• native and exotic drought tolerant plants to minimise water consumption during the summer
• flowering native and exotic plants to attract bees, butterflies, and other local pollinators
• tufted grasses and ground covers for a low-maintenance nature strip garden.

• You will not be allowed to plant edible plants such as herbs, vegetables, or fruit. This is because the soil in inner-metropolitan Melbourne can be contaminated, and eating food grown directly in the ground can be a risk to your health.
• You will not be able to plant anything that is sharp, thorny, prickly, poisonous, toxic, or can otherwise cause irritation. This is to keep you and the rest of the community safe.
• You will not be allowed to plant any invasive species or weeds. There is legislation in place already that bans these plants, in order to protect local ecosystems.

The following modifications will not be approved by Council under the draft policy, but may be considered on a case-by-case basis, such as:

• lighting, irrigation, water tanks
• retaining walls
• synthetic turf
• planter boxes
• hard landscaping surfaces such as pavers, bricks, fencing, etc.
• gravel, granitic sand.

can then make an informed decision for the site and may say no to changes that include the above.

Plants that grow higher than 90cm can obstruct sight lines and visibility, and so are a safety hazard for road and footpath users.

To make sure assets are accessible for maintenance, and to support visibility and safety, we will only allow groundcovers or low-growing grasses to be planted within 0.3m of kerbs and footpaths, and street trees and power poles and within 10m of an intersection.

Nature strips also often have essential services and assets underneath them, such as telecommunications, gas, water, sewerage, drainage and electricity infrastructure. Any excavation (digging) has the potential to damage this infrastructure leading to service interruptions, costly repairs, or even injury or death if proper precautions aren’t taken.

Before You Dig Australia is a free pre-excavation service that will provide you with plans showing the location of any services or assets underneath your nature strip.

Contacting Before You Dig Australia and properly considering the results will be a requirement of the policy and permit conditions, and must be done before any planting takes place.

Yes, under Council’s General Local Law 2018, residents will have to get a permit in order to make any changes to their nature strip. Having a permit will ensure that changes to nature strips comply with the policy conditions, are safe, and maintain accessibility. The permit application process will also provide a way for residents to show that they have:

• understood and agreed to what Council will and won’t allow
• completed the required neighbourhood consultation process
• completed a Dial Before You Dig Australia check and properly considered the results
• understood how to proceed safely with any changes
• understood and agreed to the maintenance requirements.

Once the draft Nature Strip Planting Policy has been formally adopted by Council following this community consultation, you will be able to apply for a permit online. We are developing a user-friendly self-assessment tool to allow residents to effectively get a permit automatically by filling out a simple survey.

Residents whose plans for their nature strip align with the policy conditions will be granted a conditional approval via the self-assessment tool, and will be provided with a notice to display outside their property for four weeks. Additionally, residents will be required to provide evidence that they have support from at least two neighbours on either side of their property. Once the notice period is over and evidence of support is provided, a formal permit will be issued.

No, there will be no fees associated with the permit.

All existing nature strips that have already been planted out or modified will be grandfathered under the policy. This means that you can keep the changes you’ve made, and that you don’t need to apply for a permit.

The terms of the permit will state that all nature strips must be returned to a lawned state on the sale of a property at the request of the new property owners.

As part of the online application process, we will provide residents with a notice to display outside their property. The notice will include information to neighbours on the planned changes to the nature strip and provide details on how to get in touch with us to share any feedback or concerns. We will then consider any feedback on a case-by-case basis before issuing the permit.

If you live in an apartment or other multi-unit development where you share your nature strip with others, you will need to provide evidence of approval from your owners corporation as part of your permit application.

If you do not own your property, you will need to provide evidence of approval from your landlord or property manager as part of your permit application.

You will only be able to apply for a permit for the nature strip directly outside of the property you live in.

Nature strips are often home to Council assets such as signs, poles, street trees, and more. Council workers or contractors may need to access these assets for maintenance, upgrades, or other changes.

Nature strips also often have essential services and assets underneath them, such as telecommunications, gas, water, sewerage, drainage and electricity infrastructure. From time to time, utility companies require access to their infrastructure for upgrades or repairs.