**Enhance Hawke Street's Environment for Better Living Conditions**

Living on the south side of Hawke Street, between King Street and Spencer Street, has turned increasingly challenging for us, the residents. With the recent opening of the West Gate Tunnel, the council is planning street greening BUT their plan is to put the traffic closer to our homes and remove the mature shade trees in the centre of the road, pushing the greening further from our homes.  The new traffic plan means as cars travel the curve in the road, we will have headlights shining into our front rooms - where we live and sleep.

This means we will face escalating issues such as noise pollution, fumes, unbearable heat, vibrations, and intrusive light pollution—conditions that deteriorate our quality of life. The increase in traffic has been particularly problematic, bringing a constant stream of vehicles close to our homes.

The promise of greening Hawke Street is not a luxury; it is an essential step to mitigate these hardships. We, therefore, urge the Melbourne City Council to invest in a greener Hawke Street, specifically focusing on our beleaguered section by retaining the established centre median and majestic mature shade trees, and moving the traffic to the other side of the road from the homes.

Residents prefer a layout like this, which has 600 square metres MORE greening and provides for better resident living conditions, as.

Why Greening Matters:

- Noise Reduction: Trees and landscaping serve as natural barriers that absorb sound and reduce noise from traffic.
- Air Quality Improvement:  With their capability to filter pollutants, landscaping plays a critical role in providing cleaner, fresher air, reducing airborne pollution by up to 60%
- Temperature Moderation: Trees provide much-needed shade that helps in reducing the urban heat island effect, making our neighbourhood cooler and more liveable. In the hottest part of the day, the existing shade canopies provide much needed shade to the tarmac. Further greening between the median and the footpath would make the footpath and bike path cooler on hot days, as well as our homes.
- Reduces Fumes:  Landscaping can reduce nitrogen dioxide from car fumes by up to 40%.  Vehicle air pollution has been linked to severe health issues, including heart and lung diseases

- Reduces Carbon Footprint  Shading means we use less power to survive the heat - reducing our carbon footprint by up to 25%.

Specific Plan:

1. Retain the Centre Median: Preserve and maintain the existing centre median with its mature shade trees.
2. Relocate Traffic Lanes: Move traffic lanes further away from residential homes, reducing the direct impact of noise ,pollution and vibration.
3. Increase Greenery: Add more native plants and shrubs along southern side walkways to bolster the greening effort and create a buffer against traffic for pedestrians, bike riders and residents.

The greening in Roden Street last year proves that landscaping can be done between our homes and the median - we have the exact same infrastructure as exists in Roden Street. We just want the same consideration.

This is a call to action for the Melbourne City Council. It is our responsibility to ensure our community is liveable, safe, and sustainable. Joining our voices, let's push for the healthier transformation of Hawke Street and enhance our wellbeing. Your support is vital.

**Sign this petition** to urge the Melbourne City Council to listen to its citizens and take prompt and strategic actions to green Hawke Street's South Side, improving our living conditions and preserving this part of our beautiful city for future generations.