City of Greater BendigoCity of Greater BendigoCity of Greater BendigoCity of Greater Bendigo

Nature Strip PolicyNature Strip PolicyNature Strip PolicyNature Strip Policy

Approved by CouncilApproved by CouncilApproved by CouncilApproved by Council October 4th 2006

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Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction

City of Greater Bendigo is a municipality with a great variety of street types. The variation of urban, sub-urban, semi rural and rural streets and roads create an interesting and valuable street landscape. Over recent years, the role of water in the environment has had a particular impact on the landscapes of the City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB). The introduction of water restrictions has heightened the important role of water in our urban and rural landscape and promoted the responsible use of this natural resource. The traditional street is comprised of road carriageway, nature strip and footpath (although many variations to this exist within the CoGB). Over recent times, there has been a move towards using alternative treatments on our nature strips in the belief that it is more aesthetically pleasing and/or a more responsible use of water. This document provides a framework for making decisions regarding the development and ongoing care of the nature strip in the urban areas of the City of Greater Bendigo. Rural Road Landscapes are covered by the Roadside Management Plan. This document applies to the alterations of nature strips by residents wishing to change their existing treatment

What is a nature strip? The term commonly refers to an area of land between the property boundary and the road kerb in an urban street. Generally this land is managed by Council as part of the road reserve, but it is often maintained by residents. The typical treatment is grass with street trees planted at intervals along the strip. This space provides for a variety of uses, some of which compliment each other and others which have conflicting uses. They are

the location for services such as telephone, gas, water and sewerage, as well as power (sometimes above ground on poles, sometimes below ground). The nature strips are an important part of our urban infrastructure as they provide safe and direct access for service personnel such as postal staff and service maintenance staff, as well as providing flat and stable location for the placement of refuse and recycling bins. A nature strip provides the location for a

Figure 1 – Typical Urban Nature Strip in Greater Bendigo

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footpath and allows safe and unimpeded access along property frontages for the public. They allow space for (amongst other things) the opening of car doors, space for a child’s pusher, pram or a wheelchair to move in and out of a car. Nature strips provide an open space that allows open view lines for vehicle traffic and cyclists at intersections and curves. In many inner urban areas there are no nature strips as the footpath goes all the way out to the kerb. In most rural areas, there is no footpath between the property boundary and the road edge.

OverviewOverviewOverviewOverview

Nature Strips are Good because… An open, unpaved area of land allows for the penetration of rain water and air into the soil, improving soil health and promoting healthy growth of street and garden trees. Unpaved nature strips reduce the amount of storm water runoff experienced during a rainfall event and reduce the amount of pollution transported by storm water into the Municipality’s waterways. Nature Strips provide the opportunity for the development of good streetscape character and for the growth of street trees. City of Greater Bendgio relies on the good will and established community expectation that the residents of the adjacent properties will mow and/or otherwise maintain the nature strip in order to present a neat and tidy street frontage. It must be noted that while this document outlines ways in which alternatives treatments to the soil and grass may be achieved, there is NO SUCH THING AS A MAINTENANCE FREE NATURE STRIP. All treatments that are permissible by the City of Greater Bendigo will require some maintenance by the resident of the adjacent house. This document provides an indication of what these maintenance requirements may include.

Risk Management and Safety The City of Greater Bendigo is very much aware of the need to provide a safe urban area both in Bendigo and in the other urban/township areas within the municipality. As the nature strip is public land, the CoGB must be vigilant when it comes to recognising when a threat to public safety exists. Any feature that is deemed by CoGB to be a risk to the public as a tripping hazard, a falling hazard or other hazard may be removed from the nature strip without consultation or warning. If you plan to do anything other than grow lawn grass, you will need permission from City of Greater Bendigo – Asset Planning and Design Department

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Other Council Policies Any beautification works are to be undertaken in a way that is consistent with other Council Policies. These include but are not limited to:

• City of Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme • Neighbourhood Character Precincts • Weed Strategy • Urban Stormwater Management Plan • Roadside Management Plan

Any works must maintain clearances and visibility for pedestrian, cycle and vehicular traffic when using, entering or exiting an intersection, driveway or footpath. Any works considered hazardous will be required by CoGB to be removed or made safe. If this is not undertaken within a reasonable timeframe, CoGB will remove the hazard and may charge the cost of removal and reinstatement to the resident.

• A minimum footpath width of 1.5 metres clear of obstruction is to be retained. • Vegetation is to be maintained below a height of 1.0 metre to ensure that it does

not impede the line of sight. Individual trees or shrubs may be considered appropriate if they do not obstruct site lines. Bushy plants that obstruct views are not to be planted.

• Hard landscaping elements, such as rocks, timber (including edging) must not be used as they can become trip hazards to pedestrians or obstacles if they happen to fall.

• Nature Strip material must be kept stable and properly contained. Larger materials can get kicked onto paths or into gutters.

• Residents must not park or store any type of vehicle or trailer on the nature strip (registered or unregistered) in accordance with Victorian Road Rules and City of Greater Bendigo Local Laws.

• The regulation for parking of vehicles on nature strip in built up areas is Road Rule no 197.

• Schedule 10 and schedule 11, Clause 5 of the Local Government Act deals with Council's authority in relation to removing a cause of danger.

• Local Law no 3, clause 15 deals with offensive, dangerous or unsightly land. • Local Law no 4, clause 14 deals with making a hole or excavation. • Local law no 11,clause 15 deals with the storage of building equipment or

materials on nature strips • Road Safety (RR) Regulations 1999 section 603 deals with putting destructive

materials etc on Roads or Nature Strips In addition to the above regulations, vehicles on nature strips lead to soil compaction, wheel ruts, damage to underground services, erosion and spoil the look of the street.

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Nature Strip TreatmentsNature Strip TreatmentsNature Strip TreatmentsNature Strip Treatments

When a landowner wishes to make changes to the current nature strip treatment, the cost of these changes is to be borne by the landowner. There are a number of alternative treatments available to the residents of a street. These include:-

1. Default - Soil and grass treatment, 2. Alternative 1 - Crushed Recycled stone and brick, and; 3. Alternative 2 - Planted and mulched area.

Where an alternative treatment is adopted, the full cost of the works will be borne by the adjoining land owner.

Default Treatment - Grassed Nature Strips

a) Water Use and Grass Nature Strips During recent years, the use of water to irrigate lawns in the City of Greater Bendigo has been restricted. While this has been necessary for water conservation reasons, it is only over the summer months that the restrictions have a visual effect on the nature strips.

b) Costs to Residents, Landowners and Council Grassed nature strips are the most common form of treatment in the City of Greater Bendigo. They offer the residents and Council a low maintenance and low cost form of nature strip. Typically the nature strip treated in this way costs approx $10.00 - $12.00 per square metre to install.

c) Seasonal Variation in a grass nature strip. The use of new drought tolerant grasses in the construction of new nature strips ensures that the nature strip will remain in better horticultural health throughout the year, than some other grass species. There will be some seasonal variation, but in general the nature strip will remain low maintenance and good looking year round. Seasonal variation may mean the grass dies back and browns off in summer, but the first series of autumn rains will allow the grass to again green up and grow back. The cold winters that are experienced in the Bendigo region mean that little grass growth is experienced during the winter. As the weather warms and spring rains occur, there is the requirement by the resident to mow the grass as it grows, to prevent the nature strips becoming a summer fire hazard and looking unsightly.

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Alternative Treatment 1 - Crushed Recycled Stone an d Brick Nature Strips (CRSB) An alternative to the grass nature strip is a surface that consists of crushed recycled stone and brick (CRSB). This is a material that is locally available and is environmentally sound in its creation as it is recycled rather than quarried. The use of CRSB in the

landscape has been trialled in a number of areas and settings. The use of materials (and therefore the appearance) may vary due to local availability and costs. CoGB endorses the use of a recycled material for its reduced environmental impact.

a) Sustainability and ongoing considerations While the CRSB treatment of a nature strip does not require watering, it will require periodic weeding and maintenance. As noted earlier there is NO SUCH THING AS A MAINTENANCE FREE NATURE STRIP. Being an inorganic recycled material, this nature strip development option is low maintenance but comes at a higher upfront cost to land owners and may be disagreeable in appearance to some residents. The glare of summer sun and the reflection generated by this treatment should be taken into account when considering this option.

b) Method of Installation The laying of a material such as this requires more material, labour and workmanship than the grass treatment. Typically the area will need to be excavated to approx 100mm below top of kerb, and particular care must be taken not to disturb the roots of street trees. This area will then be filled with 70mm recycled CRSB which will be sized 20mm and below (including fines).This base layer must be compacted using a ‘wacker plate’ which is available for hire at many outlets in the municipality. This provides a firm base for the top layer. The top layer of a similar material will be layed and compacted (with compaction avoiding the root zone of existing street trees). The top layer must consist of 30mm depth CRSB in a 10mm maximum particle size and will be compacted into a straight and level surface. The smaller particle size provides a more compact surface and therefore reduces the likelihood of material being spread onto the adjoining footpath or road. Where there is no footpath, the material shall be of suitable size and compaction to allow a safe path for pedestrians.

Figure 2 – Alternative Treatment 1 Crushed Recycled Stone or Brick

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If there is a nature strip tree, great care needs to be taken to avoid severing roots. In such a case, hand excavation will be essential.

c) Costs to Residents, Landowners and Council CRSB nature strips are a low maintenance option for a nature strip. They provide a tree friendly environment, as the roots have access to water and gases that percolate through the crushed CRSB that remains uncompacted at the base of the tree. It must be noted however that there is NO SUCH THING AS A MAINTENANCE FREE NATURE STRIP. The cost of the nature strip treatment is approximately $23.00/square metre.

Alternative Treatment 2 - Planted and mulched natur e strips with footpath An alternative to grass and to the hard nature of a CRSB nature strip is a planted and mulched nature strip. This provides a soft and visually pleasing alternative (when well maintained) to the treatments described above. This treatment entails the use of the nature strip area as a garden bed with the area being mulched with organic mulch and being planted with low growing native plants. This is usually done in the belief that it is low in water use and low in maintenance. Plants should be hardy, low growing, low maintenance and have low water requirements. The treatment of the nature strip in this manner must allow for the safe passage of pedestrians. City of Greater Bendigo seeks to encourage walking and cycling for adults and children and as such seeks to promote access and pedestrian permeability. CoGB must comply with legal requirements with respect to access and disability and to provide

Figure 3 – Installation detail for Alternative Treatment 1

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the opportunity for people to walk if desired. As the garden bed is a non trafficable surface, it prohibits the passage of pedestrian traffic. For these reasons, safe pedestrian passage is required.

Costs to Residents, Landowners and Council While it is generally assumed that this type of treatment is cheap to install and easy to maintain when compared with the other alternatives, in reality the opposite is true. This is

the most expensive option to install, and is the alternative that has the highest maintenance requirements over the long term. The planting of a nature strip with garden bed costs is approximately $48.00/square metre. This is a cost which must be borne by the resident. In addition, this treatment typically lasts only 5 -10 years before significant re-work is required to keep the benefit of the treatment and prevent the nature strip becoming weed infested. Ongoing maintenance, (as with lawn mowing) is required to be undertaken by the residents. In 5 – 10 years, most of the organic mulch will have broken down through natural processes and will need to be replaced (at the cost of the landowner). Many of the plants will be towards the end of their lives and will also require replacement (at the cost of the landowner). In summary, the initial cost can be expected to the required again within 10 years should this alternative be chosen.

Plant Selection Criteria The selection of plants should be based on the following considerations;

• Weedy plants cannot be used–seeds and plant particles from nature strip plants can easily get into the stormwater system and reach our waterways where they are difficult to control. Many common garden plants are really environmental weeds. While they may look nice in a garden where they can be controlled, many plants can invade areas of natural vegetation and out-compete native plants. This has a negative effect on the environment by reducing habitat etc. Only plants that are approved by CoGB can be used in nature strips. Plants that are seen to be an environmental risk will not be allowed.

Figure 4 – Alternative Treatment 3 Planted and Mulched Nature Strip with Footpath

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• Vigorous climbing plants are not suitable as they can ascend trees or power poles;

• Plants must be low growing to avoid any traffic sighting problems and the heavy maintenance requirements of keeping them at a suitable height.

• Plants must be tough enough to withstand the pressures of occasional pedestrian traffic.

• Plants must be drought tolerant to minimise watering requirements. • Plants must be able to cover the ground effectively to compete with weeds. • Plants under established trees need to be tolerant of dry shade. • Plants must not have prickly leaves or spines. • Plants must have low allergy producing characteristics.

For the list of suggested plants see Appendix 1

Maintenance for all treatments The safety of the residents in the CoGB is of paramount concern to Council, as is the image and presentation of our City. Regardless of what treatments occur to nature strips, basic safety, accessibility and presentation standards must be maintained. Residents are generally expected to maintain their nature strips. This includes in general:

• Nature strip surface levels, including mulch, should not be allowed to drop or to protrude more than 40 millimetres relative to the level of the footpath or kerb. Where possible nature strips should be gently graded towards the kerb for drainage purposes.

• Foliage must not be allowed to overhang or obstruct pedestrian access to footpaths.

• Foliage must not be allowed to overhang the kerb. • Residents are to keep nature strips free of litter and weeds.

Figure 5 Installation Details for Alternative Treatment 3

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Residents are reminded that it is an offence to damage or remove trees on nature strips, reserves or other public places. Note that the City of Greater Bendigo does not maintain residents’ nature strips. CoGB will not mow, weed, edge, plant, surface or otherwise undertake works on any nature strip other than those directly abutting a property that is maintained by CoGB, excluding work on street trees. This is common practice among all Local Government Authorities.

Reinstatement of Damage • If the nature strip has been damaged as a result of building work, this is the

responsibility of the property owner or builder.

• If the nature strip becomes damaged following service authority works, such as water, gas, electricity or communications facility works, the service authority is responsible for nature strip repairs. In some cases, CoGB may repair the nature strips by arrangement with the relevant service authority.

Should the alternative treatments along the street not be maintained, the City of Greater Bendigo has the responsibility to create a safe environment for other residents. In order to achieve this, alternative treatments may be removed by CoGB and replaced with the default soil and grass treatment. The cost of such works may be charged back to the land owner.

Application to Application to Application to Application to Install an AInstall an AInstall an AInstall an Alternative Nature Strip lternative Nature Strip lternative Nature Strip lternative Nature Strip

TreatmentTreatmentTreatmentTreatment

Nature strips are public land and therefore permission is required to be given before residents can undertake works in the nature strip. The application should be in writing and should include a sketch of the site (see Figure 6) the proposed treatment ( Default grass, Alternative 1 CRSB, or Alternative 2 – Planted with Mulch).The sketch should show the main elements in the nature strip (Property Boundaries, driveways, kerb, Street trees, service and sign poles). If proposing to use Alternative 1, details must be provided about the material to be used. This includes the name of the supplier, the source and a material description. If proposing to use Alternative 2, the plan must also include the species of plants (see Suggested list – Appendix 1) and the density to be planted (generally 4 plants per square metre). Any works in road ways requires CoGB consent. Applications forms are available from the CoGB Offices. An application to undertake works in a nature strip must be accompanied by a simple sketch plan showing the outline of the works proposed. Construction detail guides can be seen through out this document. Permission will generally be granted once the site has been assessed by CoGB officers and fees payed. Times when the application for works may be denied are when the works are proposed

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on a major city boulevard or other street/road whose appearance is deemed to be of municipal importance.

Figure 6 – Example of plan to be submitted with Application.

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Service AuthoritiesService AuthoritiesService AuthoritiesService Authorities

• CoGB and service authorities reserve the right to access pre-existing and future

assets. Disturbance resulting from access works will be reinstated to a neat finish only and plants and other elements may not be replaced. Additional costs incurred due to beautification works shall be borne by the resident.

• Residents will be asked by CoGB to remove any beautification works that are inappropriate or not adequately maintained.

• CoGB reserves the right to remove any unsuitable plantings in any nature strip, pavement cut-out or parking lane island.

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Appendix 1Appendix 1Appendix 1Appendix 1

List of Suggested Plants Botanical Name Common Name Characteristics Austrostipa elegantissima

Feather Spear Grass Perennial tussocky grass with cane like stems. Feathery Flower heads.

Brachyscome multifida Cut Leaf Daisy Calocephalus citreus Lemon Beauty Heads Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Common everlasting Low Growing flower with silver grey foliage, bright yellow flower button, everlasting daisy heads

Chrysocephalum semipapposum

Clustered everlasting Low Growing flower with silver grey foliage, bright yellow flower button, everlasting daisy heads

Dianella longifolia Pale flax lily Strap leaves blue flowers/berries Dianella admixta (formerly revoluta)

Spreading flax lily – blue flowers/berries

Dichondra repens Kidney weed Low growing creeping herb Einadia nutans ssp. nutans

Nodding or climbing saltbush

Low Shrub with fine silver green foliage, takes hot, dry conditions

Enchylaena tomentosa Ruby Saltbush Escallonia ‘Pink Pixie’

Low growing shrub with pink flowers

Hibbertia exutiacies Tangled Guinea Flower

Prostrate plant with small heathlike leaves. Red Berry Fruit.

Joycea pallida Red Anther Wallaby Grass

Tussock Grass with grey green leaves. Red seed heads

Kennedia prostrata Running postman Low ground cover with red flowers Lomandra longifolia Spiny-headed mat-

rush Green Strap-leafed tufts

Microlaena stipoides Weeping grass Indigenous lawn substitute Myoporum parvifolium Creeping boobialla Dense foliage ground cover with

small white flowers Phormium sp (dwarf only)

New Zealand Flax Small strappy upright plants with a variety of leave colours

Poa morrissii Silky tussock grass Small tufted Grass with bluish foliage Pultenaea pedunculata

Matted Bush Pea

Rosa ‘Flower Carpet’ (Thornless only)

Thornless Carpet Roses

Low growing thornless rose with many coloured flowers

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Huntington Carpet’

Trailing Rosemary Prostrate form of rosemary with fine leaf texture

Themeda triandra Kangaroo Grass Tufted Grass

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Appendix 2Appendix 2Appendix 2Appendix 2

Breakdown of Approximate commercial costs for alter native treatments

Default Grass Treatment Preparation of Lawn Sub-base $5.00/m2 Spreading and fine grading of topsoil $5.00/m2 Grass Seeding. $1.00/m2 Approx cost per square metre $11.00/m2

Alternative One- CRSB Preparation of Sub-base $3.00/m2 Supply and Installation of Sub base $10.00/m2 Supply and Installation of wearing surface $10.00/m2 Approx cost per square metre $23.00/m2

Alternative Two- Planted and Mulched With Footpath Preparation of Garden Bed including topsoil $12.00/m2 Supply and installation of 75mm Mulch $8.00/m2 Supply and planting of 4 150mm Pots /m2 $28.00/m2 Approx cost per square metre for garden bed

$48.00/m2