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Council has drafted a Nature Plan to help look after and restore the natural environment across our City.
Prior to colonisation, our City was home to a diversity of vegetation that created habitats for a wide variety of plants and animals.
In late 2023, we asked you to share what you value most about the natural environment, your priorities for protecting it, and which areas you love to visit across our City. This feedback, along with input from environmental experts, has been used to develop the draft Nature Plan.
We are now sharing the draft Nature Plan with you, our community, to make sure we heard you correctly.
The draft Nature Plan details why it’s important to care for nature, including plants, animals, and the places they live. It shows how looking after nature helps keep the environment healthy, supports local wildlife, improves our wellbeing, and can even bring benefits to the local economy.
The draft Nature Plan will help guide the way Council looks after parks, gardens, and other natural areas. It also aims to teach and involve the community so everyone can play a part in protecting local plants and animals.
We’re also working closely with Traditional Owners to help us care for nature in a way that respects and heals the land and our connection to it.
You can learn more about the draft Nature Plan in a number of ways:
Protecting our City's biodiversity is important for all of us, including future generations – so we are asking you to spread the word and encourage your friends and family to have their say too!
You can share your feedback at one of our in-person events or by completing the survey below by midnight Sunday 14 September 2025.
The draft Nature Plan aims to stop and reverse biodiversity loss within the City by conserving, managing, and restoring nature. It seeks to guide Council land management decisions towards positive outcomes for indigenous plants and wildlife across the City.
The City’s habitats are highly fragmented because of past land clearing. This means that many species do not have a sufficient habitat.
Privately managed green areas offer key habitats. Council can use planning tools and advocacy to support strong biodiversity outcomes.
Urbanisation has led to increased pollution in various forms, including light pollution, noise pollution and contamination of local waterways.
Weed and pest animal control in natural areas is vital to protect habitats and native species. Focused efforts, education and local laws support this.
Uncontrolled dogs and roaming cats threaten wildlife. Council actions include off-lead areas, a cat curfew, and promoting responsible pet ownership.
Surveys and a central database will help track, protect and restore local species and habitats.
Climate change threatens local biodiversity. Council will plant climate-ready species, restore estuarine habitats, to adapt to rising seas/salinity.
As the largest public land manager in the City, Council has an important role in conserving biodiversity values, managing our valuable natural areas and restoring indigenous plants and native wildlife habitats throughout the landscape. To do this effectively, there is a need for high quality data to inform strategic, evidence-based decision making.
Support from, and engagement with, the wider community is essential to conserve, manage and restore the City’s biodiversity, given its natural areas are connected with residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational areas. Giving residents the chance to experience and learn about nature helps them appreciate the local environment and understand why conserving biodiversity is important.
Traditional Owner knowledge is key to strong biodiversity outcomes. Including their perspectives through management, storytelling and science communication will help strengthen biodiversity efforts. Collaborating with land managers like Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria, VicTrack and local residents helps support a coordinated approach, which is essential as most land in the City is not managed by Council.
While the management of public open space is an important role that Council undertakes, it is one of many responsibilities that impacts biodiversity, both locally and globally. It is important for Council to consider biodiversity in all its practices and decisions, including strategic planning, the development of Master Plans and asset renewal.
For further details on funding, cost and frequency, please download the Action Plan.
1. Undertake vegetation surveys and mapping of natural areas, including vegetation communities, indigenous and native flora, and weed species.
2.Undertake fauna habitat surveys and mapping throughout natural areas.
3. Create site-specific restoration/management plans for natural areas.
4. Continue current weed control program in high value areas and explore opportunities for expanding weed control works in additional areas.
5. Undertake a regular pest animal control program in high value areas, such as fox and rabbit control. This should also include a program of inspection, maintenance and clear-out (when relevant) for pest species in nest boxes.
6. Develop and publish on Council’s website a wildlife-friendly garden and nature strip planting guide for residents.
7. Empower the community to be custodians of nature. Develop, promote and support activities and programs that engage the wider public with positive biodiversity outcomes, e.g. Friends of Group planting/weeding days, citizen science events and biodiversity focused workshops as part of the My Smart Garden program.
8. Provide greater information and data relating to the City's nature on Council's website.
9. Develop an interpretive plan for signage in natural areas.
10. Ensure collaboration on biodiversity matters are included in the regular Council meetings with Traditional Owners.
11. Advocate to the Federal Government and State Government agencies for strong biodiversity outcomes in the future development of the Defence Site Maribyrnong. This should include maintaining a large riparian habitat corridor alongside Mirrangbamurn/ Maribyrnong River.
12. Identify and pursue external funding and partnership opportunities for biodiversity programs within the City.
13. Develop a standardised framework for Council collection and storage of biodiversity data.
14. Engage a zoologist to review street tree plantings palette and identify high habitat value species. Use findings to prioritise high value habitat street trees near existing Natural Areas and Natural Multiuse Areas.
15. Ensure that future installation of lighting within and directly surrounding Natural Areas is appropriate, and if required, follows the National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife.
16. Consider opportunities to remove existing hard surfaces (i.e.’depave’) as part of project scopes to increase habitat, permeability, cooling and greening, e.g. consolidate infrastructure as part of Master Plans, undertake urban design greening projects or investigate as part of road renewals.
17. Ensure that biodiversity priorities are included in Council’s environmentally sustainable development (ESD) guidelines for council buildings and surrounds.
In late 2023, the community was invited to share their comments and feedback to help inform the development of the draft Nature Plan.
Across online and in-person events, you told us:
A total of 394 contributions were received across all engagement activities.
Learn more about what we heard below or download the Community Engagement Report.
Biodiversity encompasses all components of the living world: the number and variety of plants, animals and other living things, including fungi and microorganisms across our land, rivers, coast and ocean. It includes the diversity of their genetic information, the habitats and ecosystems within which they live, and their connections with other life forms and the natural world.
Learn more about biodiversity by watching this short video about Biodiversity 2037 - the State Government's plan for protecting Victoria's environment.
The value of biodiversity can be measured by the numerous benefits it provides; food and shelter, clean air and water, cultural relationship to country, improved mental health, aesthetic quality, increased recreation opportunity, opportunities for research, and safeguarding us against the symptoms of climate change.
Since settlement, all vegetation types have been grossly depleted and most remnants are now severely modified from their original state. Many plant species have become extinct within the municipality and populations of some remaining species are considered endangered.
If we are to support the recovery and survival of our threatened native plants and animals we need to find ways to better protect and manage our natural habitat.
Council can arrange a telephone
interpreter for you on 9688 0200
TIS: 131 450
NRS: 133 677 or 1300 555 727
www.relayservice.com.au
Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Name | Community Engagement Team |
|---|---|
| Phone | (03) 9688 0200 |
| communityengagement@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au | |
| Website | www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/ |
