We are committed to improving the appearance of our municipality and increasing our urban forest. Increasing the number of trees and other vegetation keeps our city cooler and improves biodiversity.

After requests from the local community for more trees, we proposed a draft plan for greening Eddy Street, Brunswick East and asked for your thoughts.

What we heard

In 2023 we received feedback from residents and business owners in the broader Eddy Street area through our online form, in-person conversations and emails.

We heard widespread support for the introduction of trees and raingardens in Eddy Street. Some of the comments we received included:

• Support for an enhanced street environment
• Recognition of the positive impact on climate conditions like reducing the urban heat island effect and flood control
• Support for more biodiversity
• Businesses on the western side, particularly those fronting Lygon Street, may experience access difficulties to their driveways, especially for larger vehicles.
• Potential limitations to natural light access to apartments due to proposed larger trees on the west side.
• Reduced safety due to the the current one-way vehicle access arrangement and cyclist interactions. Residents noted perceived dangers, including vehicles purposefully driving in the wrong direction.

What we did

Thank you for your feedback! It has helped us refine the plan for Eddy Street and make changes:

• Driveways: at the northern end, where access issues were prominent, we've reduced the number of trees and decided not to plant trees on the west side north of Glenmorgan Street.
• Traffic arrangements: working closely with our Transport and Engineering team, we've reviewed the situation. Introducing tree pits will naturally reduce vehicle speeds, emphasizing shared road use. Sharrows will be added to signal the shared environment for both cyclists and motorists.
• Streetscape: we propose a variety of trees, including column-shaped deciduous trees next to the westside apartment building to minimize shade impacts and allow more natural light. Special areas with new permeable asphalt will support tree growth.
• Raingardens: changes extend to the raingardens at the southern end, with a simplified plan and trees planted closer to Bladen Ave.

All trees will be planted in structural soil, ensuring sustainable growing conditions with appropriate protection measures.

What next?

We are excited that Council have engaged the contractor, Evergreen, who will commence construction works in late July. Businesses and residents will be notified of commencement by letter. We expect the civil works and tree planting will take between 6 and 8 weeks. We hope disruptions will be minimised.

The contractor, Evergreen, will be responsible for maintaining the trees for 12-months before handing responsibility back to Council.