Shaping a Greener Greater Bendigo

Greening Greater Bendigo 2020-2070 will be the first urban forest strategy for Greater Bendigo. It is a 50-year strategic vision for increasing tree cover and improving tree health across urban areas and townships of Greater Bendigo. The strategy provides a strategic response to the complex challenges that threaten the health of the natural environment, the health of our residents and the liveability of our City and townships over the coming decades.

Greening Greater Bendigo will be accompanied by a 10-year action plan which outlines the City’s most immediate priorities and commitments to increase tree cover and protect the trees and greenspaces the community value. It aims to reverse the trend of tree loss from urban areas so that the multiple benefits trees provide can be enjoyed by current and future generations.

Both the strategy and action plan have been shaped by input from the Greater Bendigo community during the first round of community engagement in late 2018. 

The draft strategy and action plan will be available on this page for public comment from Thursday February 20 to Friday March 27, 2020.

A final plan will be prepared in May and be submitted to council to make a decision on whether or not to endorse the strategy at the June 17 Council meeting.

View the draft Greening Greater Bendigo 2020-2070

View the draft Greening Greater Bendigo Action Plan 2020-2030

What do we want to achieve?

1. Increase tree cover across urban areas and townships of Greater Bendigo from 16% currently to

• 25% cover by 2030
• 35% cover by 2050

2. Improve the health of Greater Bendigo’s urban forest

      By 2030 we will achieve:

• An establishment rate for all newly planted trees of at least 95%

      At any one time there will be:

• No more than 10% of the total tree population will have a useful life expectancy of 10 years or less
• No more than 10% of the total tree population will be in poor health

3. The community will have a greater understanding of the importance of the urban forest and engage in its stewardship

How will get there?

The Draft Greening Greater Bendigo Action Plan 2020-2030 lists numerous actions to be delivered over the next decade. Of all the actions, there are three that have been listed as priority actions based on their importance to the successful delivery of this strategy.

Priority actions

1. Develop and deliver a ten-year tree planting program to increase tree cover and replace projected tree losses
2. Develop precinct plans for each urban precinct and township to guide local tree planting and green infrastructure investment
3. Undertake a review of the mechanisms available to protect significant trees and landscapes

How you can have your say

We would very much like to hear your views on any aspect of the draft strategy and action plan. If you would like to contribute you have several options.

Send an e-mail to [email protected]

Send us a letter – Public Space Design, City of Greater Bendigo, PO Box 733, Bendigo VIC 3552

Drop in and visit us at one of the City’s listening posts:

• Friday February 21, 6pm-8.30pm Music in the Parks, Cooinda Park, Golden Square
• Friday February 28, 6pm-8.30pm Music in the Parks Garden for the Future, White Hills
• Saturday March 7, 9-12pm, Heathcote Bush Market, Barrack Reserve, Heathcote
• Sunday March 14, 4pm-8pm Zinda Festival, Rosalind Park, Bendigo

Or fill out the short survey below: