Melbourne’s vision of becoming a city within a forest continues to take shape, with the City of Melbourne releasing draft Urban Forest Precinct Plans for Kensington, North and West Melbourne, and Docklands. On 1 July, the council voted unanimously to open the plans to community consultation, inviting residents to help shape the future of their neighbourhoods.
These draft plans mark the latest phase in the city’s ambitious 20-year Urban Forest Strategy, first adopted in 2012. The goal? To boost tree canopy cover to 40 per cent across the municipality by 2040.
It’s an ambitious target, but one that’s already showing strong progress. Since 2012, more than 80,000 trees have been planted, transforming neighbourhoods like Carlton, East Melbourne and South Yarra into leafy, cooler and more liveable spaces.
The impact is more than just visual. Trees play a vital role in tackling the urban heat island effect—where built-up areas become significantly warmer than surrounding suburbs. Using detailed thermal mapping, council teams are targeting the hottest streets and the most vulnerable communities first, helping to reduce extreme heat in areas that need it most.
Each precinct plan is shaped with community input through public workshops, surveys and interactive maps, so that the planting reflects what locals care about, whether that’s preserving heritage character, attracting birdlife or simply adding shade to walkable streets.
Diversity is also a key priority: the city is avoiding monocultures by planting a wide range of tree species to protect against pests and disease.
More information is available here.
