Verge Garden Guidelines for the City of Gold Coast
The issue
City of Gold Coast residents are not permitted to plant trees or other plants on public land, such as nature strips/verges.
A verge is the area between the road and the boundary of a property.
Thats right! 700,000 residents must MOW and MAINTAIN lawns on verges across the city for FREE in an area governed and owned by COUNCIL. We, as ratepayers of this great city, have no option but....LET'S BE THE CHANGE NOW!
We deserve to have options of how we maintain this area.
With an annual budget for the city of $2,193 million we should have the resources and support from City of Gold Coast to provide the amenity of verge gardens across 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. Establishing a native verge or footpath garden helps to beautify local streets, show pride in your neighbourhood and contribute to a clean, green Gold Coast.
Across Australia numerous local councils have adopted verge garden guidelines due to resident requests and public pressure. This is also in line with the Cities Greening Strategies, Urban Tree Canopy Report 2020, Natural City Strategy and City Plan to respond to climate change and encourage liveability.
Councils with current verge garden guidelines in south-east Qld include :
Brisabne City Council - https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/plants-trees-and-gardens/verge-gardens
Logan City Council - https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/gardens-artificial-turf-foopaths
Moreton Bay Council - https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Roads/Road-Verge-Landscaping
Sunshine Coast City Council - https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/road-verge-landscaping-and-maintenance/plant-a-verge-garden
With your signature, let's ask for Council to establish verge garden guidelines across our biodiverse city.
Verge garden benefits that are enjoyed in other local council areas include:
- NO MORE MOWING!
- Enhanced beauty and amenity of your home, neighbourhood and our City
- Reduction in residents money, time, energy and water spent on maintaining lawns in climate variability ( Drought, El Niño events)
- Promoting biodiversity value of your garden and the local community with native plants
- Increasing water infiltration reducing stormwater runoff and reducing reflected heat from the road surface and footpath making your neighbourhood cooler.
- Reducing harmful chemicals and fertilisers entering our stormwater and waterways
- Reducing the need for watering
- Mitigating the urban heat island effect caused by roadways and footpaths
- Encouraging Council to meet its commitment to combating climate change and urban greening
- Reduction in grass clippings going into green waste (at a cost to residents for Green Bins) or worse landfill which produces methane and increases the bill for the City and ratepayers for waste charged by Qld government in disposal fees
- Increasing carbon sequestering and cooling the air through plant transpiration
- Improved food security
- Reducing the use of fossil fuel and greenhouse gas from mowing lawns
- Promoting an active and healthy lifestyle
- Promoting connection to nature and improving mental health
- Building community by reducing loneliness
We recommend that City of Gold Coast review and adopt the policy currently implemented by the Brisbane City Council Verge Garden Guidelines.
The guidelines will support Council’s vision of a clean, green city that protects and supports our subtropical environment by sustainably managing and caring for our natural environment and resources.
Thank you for your interest and time. I’m hoping to create some enthusiasm and support to make changes within our City to benefit the biodiversity, community and future of the Gold Coast.
We just need your signature and support to share this petition for Council to listen to us as a community. BE THE CHANGE!
For further information please see:
- Jerry Coleby-Williams website
Footpath gardens that brighten Brisbane
Nature Strip Gardeningon - to boldly garden where no one has gardened before
- Backyards for Biodiversity SEQ
https://backyardsforbiodiversity.org/blog/f/branching-out-onto-the-verge
- 'Reverge" - Community Verge Gardens
https://www.facebook.com/groups/reverge/?mibextid=oMANbw
- Brisbane City Life - Verge planting
https://www.brisbanecitylife.com.au/brisbane-city-council-guidelines/
523
The issue
City of Gold Coast residents are not permitted to plant trees or other plants on public land, such as nature strips/verges.
A verge is the area between the road and the boundary of a property.
Thats right! 700,000 residents must MOW and MAINTAIN lawns on verges across the city for FREE in an area governed and owned by COUNCIL. We, as ratepayers of this great city, have no option but....LET'S BE THE CHANGE NOW!
We deserve to have options of how we maintain this area.
With an annual budget for the city of $2,193 million we should have the resources and support from City of Gold Coast to provide the amenity of verge gardens across 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. Establishing a native verge or footpath garden helps to beautify local streets, show pride in your neighbourhood and contribute to a clean, green Gold Coast.
Across Australia numerous local councils have adopted verge garden guidelines due to resident requests and public pressure. This is also in line with the Cities Greening Strategies, Urban Tree Canopy Report 2020, Natural City Strategy and City Plan to respond to climate change and encourage liveability.
Councils with current verge garden guidelines in south-east Qld include :
Brisabne City Council - https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/plants-trees-and-gardens/verge-gardens
Logan City Council - https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/gardens-artificial-turf-foopaths
Moreton Bay Council - https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Roads/Road-Verge-Landscaping
Sunshine Coast City Council - https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/road-verge-landscaping-and-maintenance/plant-a-verge-garden
With your signature, let's ask for Council to establish verge garden guidelines across our biodiverse city.
Verge garden benefits that are enjoyed in other local council areas include:
- NO MORE MOWING!
- Enhanced beauty and amenity of your home, neighbourhood and our City
- Reduction in residents money, time, energy and water spent on maintaining lawns in climate variability ( Drought, El Niño events)
- Promoting biodiversity value of your garden and the local community with native plants
- Increasing water infiltration reducing stormwater runoff and reducing reflected heat from the road surface and footpath making your neighbourhood cooler.
- Reducing harmful chemicals and fertilisers entering our stormwater and waterways
- Reducing the need for watering
- Mitigating the urban heat island effect caused by roadways and footpaths
- Encouraging Council to meet its commitment to combating climate change and urban greening
- Reduction in grass clippings going into green waste (at a cost to residents for Green Bins) or worse landfill which produces methane and increases the bill for the City and ratepayers for waste charged by Qld government in disposal fees
- Increasing carbon sequestering and cooling the air through plant transpiration
- Improved food security
- Reducing the use of fossil fuel and greenhouse gas from mowing lawns
- Promoting an active and healthy lifestyle
- Promoting connection to nature and improving mental health
- Building community by reducing loneliness
We recommend that City of Gold Coast review and adopt the policy currently implemented by the Brisbane City Council Verge Garden Guidelines.
The guidelines will support Council’s vision of a clean, green city that protects and supports our subtropical environment by sustainably managing and caring for our natural environment and resources.
Thank you for your interest and time. I’m hoping to create some enthusiasm and support to make changes within our City to benefit the biodiversity, community and future of the Gold Coast.
We just need your signature and support to share this petition for Council to listen to us as a community. BE THE CHANGE!
For further information please see:
- Jerry Coleby-Williams website
Footpath gardens that brighten Brisbane
Nature Strip Gardeningon - to boldly garden where no one has gardened before
- Backyards for Biodiversity SEQ
https://backyardsforbiodiversity.org/blog/f/branching-out-onto-the-verge
- 'Reverge" - Community Verge Gardens
https://www.facebook.com/groups/reverge/?mibextid=oMANbw
- Brisbane City Life - Verge planting
https://www.brisbanecitylife.com.au/brisbane-city-council-guidelines/
Petition Updates
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Petition created on 24 October 2023