Planting permits
You must have a permit to plant on your nature strip.
Without a valid permit, you may be personally liable for a public liability claim.
If you have already planted in your nature strip, please apply for a permit so there is a record of the agreement between you and the Council.
Permits are free.
Apply for a permit
You will need to submit an application form and planting plan.
If your plan is approved, we will issue a Planting on Nature Strip Permit.
Our Green Streets Policy
The Green Streets Policy has been prepared to guide implementation of street tree planting and guidance for the community on the maintenance of nature strips.
Find out more about our Green Streets Policy
Guidelines for nature strip planting
Some important things to remember.
- You must contact Dial Before You Dig for a free report to identify any underground services in your nature strip. Freecall 1100 or see 1100.com.au
- When working near roads and traffic, you and/or your contractor are responsible for your safety and that of others
- Council plants and maintains the street trees but all other nature strip landscaping or maintenance costs are your responsibility
- Planting must be at least 500mm from the kerb to allow people to enter and exit their vehicles and properties safely
- Adequate space must be provided for bin collections
- Plants must be kept pruned to a maximum of 500mm high to ensure clear sightlines between the road and footpath
- Fine gravel mulches such as granitic sand, pine or hardwood chips (12mm-25mm) are permitted.
What will not be approved
Council will NOT approve:
- watering systems
- artificial turf
- trees
- hard objects such as:
- bricks
- concrete
- garden edges
- logs
- sleepers
- river pebbles and stones.
If you wish to plant edible plants you will need to get a soil contamination report before we can issue a permit.
Planting ideas
The most suitable plants are:
- native and indigenous wildflowers
- ground covers
- native grasses
- low growing shrubs.
These plants often need little maintenance or water while effectively competing with weeds.
Indigenous plants recommended for nature strips include:
- Acaena novae-zelandiae - Bidgee Widgee
- Billardiera scandens - Velvet Appleberry
- Bossiaea prostrata - Creeping Bossiaea
- Arthropodium strictum - Chocolate Lily
- Brachyscome multifida - Cut Leaf Daisy
- Bulbine bulbosa - Bulbine Lily
- Hardenbergia violacea - Purple Coral Pea
- Kennedia prostrata - Running Postman
- Linum marginale - Native Flax
- Lomandra filiformis - Wattle Mat-rush
- Lomandra multiflora - Many-flowered Mat-rush
- Microseris lanceolata - Yam Daisy
- Patersonia fragilis - Short Purple Flag
- Patersonia occidentalis - Purple Flag
- Pelargonium littorale - Coast StorksBill
- Poa sieberiana - Tussock Grass
- Poa tenera - Slender Tussock Grass
- Platylobium infecundum - Famine Flat-pea
- Ranuculus lappaceus - Austral Buttercup
- Rubus parvifolius - Small-leaf Bramble
- Rytidosperma penicillatum - Slender Wallaby Grass
- Stylidium graminifolium - Grass Trigger Plant
- Thysanotus patersonii - Twining Fringe-lily
- Viola betonicifolia - Mountain Violet
- Viola hederacea - Native Violet
- Wahlenbergia communis - Tufted Bluebell
- Wahlenbergia stricta - Tall Bluebell
- Xanthorrhoea minor - Small Grass Tree.
Need help?
Contact us and we will get back to you.
Or call our Open Space & Landscape Design co-ordinator on 9298 8000.
