Greening our city
Our native wildlife and natural environments are among our most critical assets, essential to the future social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Gold Coast. It is critical that we protect and restore nature across the city.
We are greening our city by protecting and restoring our natural areas and waterways as well as increasing our urban tree canopy.
Our Natural City Strategy
We are striving to protect our natural environment as well as our economy and lifestyle through our Natural City Strategy.
One of our priorities is to ensure we live in balance with nature. Building on the existing initiatives such as our City Plan, the strategy focuses on protecting places for nature and partnering with the community to secure and enhance our natural assets.
Learn more about how we are protecting our environment.
Greening our urban areas
Healthy trees are important for the long-term benefit of residents, visitors and our precious plants and animals. A healthy urban tree canopy (trees and vegetation above 3 metres in height) has many benefits. Every year, we plant over 80,000 trees in our streets, parks and conservation areas.
Benefits
- Reduce summer heat temperatures
- Reduce air pollution
- Provide wildlife habitat
- Improve water quality and reduce erosion
- Create healthy liveable neighbourhoods
- Better overall health and wellbeing of our community
How to help in your backyard
Backyards are an important part of our natural landscape. Did you know that more than 50% of the city's native vegetation is on private properties?
Bushland properties provide important habitat to native plant and animals, including rare and threatened species.
Vegetation in urban areas is of growing importance to many of our native plants and animals as well our city’s urban tree canopy.
Regardless of size, if you have a backyard, courtyard or even a balcony you play an important role in our natural city. Learn how you can help:
- greening your backyard
- reduce risks to wildlife that come into your garden
- prevent water pollution
- control pest plants and weeds
- protect and restore native vegetation.
Verge gardens
Please note: Residents are not permitted to plant trees or other plants on public land, such as nature strips. Planting on nature strips can interfere with safe public access including underground services. Shrubs and trees can also obscure visibility for pedestrians and motorists. For details, go to Local Law No. 11.