Nature Strips & Trees

Street trees, garden beds and landscaping are important components of our public spaces, bringing aesthetic, environmental and practical benefits. Council’s parks and gardens staff maintain plantings in median strips, roundabouts and tree bays as well as those in public parks, reserves and playgrounds.

Nature strips

A nature strip is the strip of public land between a property boundary and the adjacent kerb or street. A nature strip is usually grassed with one or more street trees and may contain water, sewerage, gas, power or internet beneath them.

They also provide:

an area for waste collection
access for service personnel including postal and maintenance staff
open space to allow clear viewing lines for pedestrians, vehicle traffic and cyclists at intersections and driveways
a soften effect for hard surfaces such as the road, footpath and driveway and allow for the growth of street trees.

If you are a resident or property owner, it is your responsibility for the upkeep and presentation of a nature strip. This may include:

mowing lawns for aesthetic presentation
weed control
blowing or sweeping to remove leaf litter or debris.

The Urban Nature Strip Policy and supporting guidelines below have been developed to help and support in the creation of you own safe and successful nature strip area

Trees

Council plants, prunes and maintains all street trees. Residents are encouraged to help support the health of street trees by watering the tree(s) on their nature strips, especially in dry conditions.

Street trees form an important part of the urban landscape providing a range of benefits including shade, biodiversity, amenity and habitat. Council is responsible for street trees and any enquiries regarding the care, establishment, maintenance and removal of street trees must be referred to Council.

Council undertakes a wide range of tree maintenance activities across the municipality and responds to more than 1,500 tree-related enquiries every year. Works carried out by Council include: