Background
Hume City Council is updating its Residential Nature Strip Policy.
The purpose of the Draft Residential Nature Strip Policy is provide:
- guidance to residents wishing to undertake personalised landscape works on their nature strips
- guidance on how Council will address non-compliant landscape works on nature strips
- clarity that Residents and property owners are expected to maintain the nature strip abutting their property.
The Policy applies to landscape works on all residential nature strips within Hume City, with the exception of rural roads or roads where Council is not the Responsible Road Authority including Arterial Roads and Freeways.
The policy and the guidelines
The Draft Residential Nature Strip Policy provides clarity to Hume residents about the management, maintenance and governance of residential nature strips in Hume City.
We have developed some Nature Strip Guidelines that support the implementation of the Policy. The guidelines provide residents with landscaping options to apply to their nature strips if they desire.
These are Guidelines only and Council will consider each application on a case-by-case basis before issuing a permit.
The guidelines are not subject to consultation at this time, but will be reviewed and consulted on in the future.
The importance of nature strips
Nature strips play an important role in Hume City. They provide a green zone between properties and the road or footpath, which allows for rainwater and air to soak into the soil, improving the health of the soil and reducing the volume of stormwater runoff entering drains.
They also provide space for key services such as water, gas and above and below ground power.
Because important utilities are underneath the surface of nature strips, it is illegal across all of Victoria to park on nature strips, as it can cause damage to utility connections and prevent access to these utilities, especially in an emergency.
Vehicles parked on nature strips also obstruct the view of drivers and pedestrians entering and exiting driveways.
Like most Councils' in Australia, under the Policy, it is the responsibility of Hume City residents to maintain the nature strip adjacent to their property through regular mowing, weeding, and removal of litter.
Council will only undertake maintenance works on nature
strips where it has been identified that there is a significant hazard for the
community (e.g.: tripping hazard, fire hazard, line of sight for vehicles,
restriction of pedestrian access).
Hume City Council recognises residents’ desires to personalise their nature strips by undertaking landscape works, however residents must apply to Council for and obtain a ‘Consent to work within a Hume City Council Road Reserve’ before undertaking and landscape construction works in a road reserve.
The Nature Strip Guidelines provide residents with landscaping options. These are Guidelines only and Council will consider each application on a case-by-case basis before issuing a permit.
Did you know..?
How you could participate
The updated Residential Nature Strip Policy was adopted by Council on 12 March 2024.
Feedback was sought in November 2023 on the Draft Residential Nature Strip Policy. You could participate by:
filling out the survey below
emailing your feedback to participate@hume.vic.gov.au
phoning us on 9205 2200. Conversations in languages other than English can be arranged
posting to Hume City Council, PO Box 119, Dallas Vic 3047
