This announcement will see a second year of $500,000 dedicated to greening projects such as green roofs, vertical green walls, tree planting, gardens and green open spaces. The announcement comes as Kensington residents prepare to turn the sod on their $200,000 greening project in Howlett Street, one of the first to benefit from the Urban Forest Fund’s inaugural year in 2017.
Chair of the Environment portfolio Councillor, Cathy Oke, said the Howlett Street project was a prime example of how the Fund can be utilised to encourage community greening on private land. “Residents of Howlett Street, a complex of 45 apartments, will transform their outdoor common area, which currently has little greenery and flooding issues,” Cr Oke said.
“By installing over 1500 new plants, 34 planter boxes, a large green wall and a stormwater harvesting and irrigation system, flooding will be mitigated, shade will be enhanced and a communal area for the residents to gather and enjoy will be created,” she continued. “Planting native trees and shrubs will boost biodiversity, creating much needed habitats for insects and birds.” 
Cr Oke said improvements to the Fund would ensure greater accessibility to a wide range of applicants for round two. “This year we’ve extended the application period to allow more time for businesses, property developers, resident and community groups to prepare and refine their greening project proposals. We’ve also lowered the minimum grant offering to $25,000, meaning the total value of the project must be at least $50,000, to allow for smaller scale projects to apply.”
In addition to City of Melbourne tree planting and expansion of public green space, greening in the private realm has a positive impact on all city users by filtering air and water and providing shade to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
“Encouraging greening on private property, which represents 73 percent of land in our municipality, is the next step to expanding our urban forest and increasing green space and canopy cover,” Cr Oke said. “If you are thinking of greening your property, I urge you to check the grant criteria, speak to your colleagues or neighbours and develop your proposal for a green urban oasis.” 
The Urban Forest Fund will be open for applications from August 27 to October 22, 2018. City of Melbourne officers are available to assist with application enquiries, for contact details and more information please visit the Urban Forest Fund website here.