Overview
The city is about to get greener, thanks to the City of Melbourne's new $500,000 investment in five sprawling greening projects worth an estimated $3.8 million, announced Saturday, December 10. The spaces are expected to deliver 1,000 square metres of lush new green cover across the city.
In partnership with the Department of Transport and Yarra Trams, four Melbourne tram stops will score rooftop green spaces including planters filled with local flora and Indigenous wildflowers from the Volcanic Plains Grasslands.
Port Melbourne-based developer, Plant Based Building Solutions, has been tasked with the complicated growing and installation process. The team plan to use drought-tolerant plant palettes to combat Melbourne's dry summers, with installations expected to be completed in mid-2023.
Image: Realview Studio, Yarra Trams
You'll be able to spot these mini ecosystems at Stop 3 at Collins and William Streets and Stop 5 at William and Bourke Streets.
Two native community gardens are also on the cards, with the historic North Melbourne fire station and a Jolimont apartment block on Agnes Street both earmarked for developments. Finally, a wall of greenery is expected for Collins Street's Hero apartments.
Image: Skyfarm
The final project will be announced in early 2023. The five projects are funded by the City of Melbourne's Urban Forest Fund Grant Program, which also supported Skyfarm — the rooftop urban farm nestled on a CBD rooftop. This is the third round of funding announced to support green projects across the city.
Top image: Realview Studio, Yarra Trams