We want to make it as easy as possible for residents to apply for the required permit to plant on their nature strip. That’s why we’re changing the permit application to an automated online form. This change also makes it easier for officers to monitor.

We’ve provided clearer guidance on how far you need to keep plants, mulch, toppings and pavers away from assets including street trees, footpaths and kerbs. This change is to protect these assets. Clearance zones are summarised below:

• Vegetation must be maintained no more than 50cm high (to ensure pedestrian and driver 'line of sight').
• Keep plants at least 60 cm away from the base of street trees. Mulch is permitted within the clearance zone.
• Keep plants at least 50 cm away from the kerb to allow for easy opening of car doors. Mulch, granitic sand or groundcover is permitted within the clearance zone.
• You can use 1 or 2 non-slip pavers to guide foot traffic through a planted nature strip. Keep pavers at least 2 metres from the base of street trees.
• Soil, plants and mulch must not cover or impede access to assets, service infrastructure and street furniture. Maintain a clear zone of only mulch, ground covers or grasses within 1m of fire hydrants and manholes, and 50 cm of power poles.

Mulch and toppings can be used in your nature strip garden, but you must plant groundcover and/or low growing shrubs too. This is to preserve neighbourhood character and enhance biodiversity, which is the intention of these guidelines.

Arterial roads are owned and managed by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). If you live on an arterial road and would like to renovate your nature strip, DTP require you to apply for a permit through them. Use their interactive map to see if you live on an arterial road. To apply for a permit through DTP, please contact metro_workswithinroadreserve@roads.vic.gov.au

• Your Say Boroondara consultation page.
• Email alert to people signed up to this website, whose interests match this topic.
• Fortnightly Feed email newsletter to around 35,000 community members.
• Living for our Future e-newsletter to nearly 2,000 community members.
• Posters displayed in Boroondara libraries and our customer service centre.

Of the 34 submissions received during the consultation:

• 32 people completed the survey on this page
• 2 people provided written submissions
• 65% of people who completed the survey were women
• 41% of people who completed the survey were aged 70-84 years, 28% were aged 60-69, and 16% were aged 50-59
• most survey respondents were from Kew (19%), followed by Camberwell (16%) and Hawthorn (16%)
• the responses were extremely positive overall, with some issues raised by respondents which are outlined in 'What we heard'.

• Most people were very supportive of the draft guidelines.
• A few people asked for additional plant species and extra pavers to be considered.
• A few people asked to allow taller plants and the growing of fruit and vegetables on nature strips.

Your feedback helped shape the final guidelines in the following 4 ways:

1. We’ve improved the wording in some parts of the guidelines

A few respondents proposed some wording changes and inclusions to help make the guidelines easier to follow. 3 that have been implemented are:

• We’ve clarified the definition of a nature strip to now read as: ‘an area between a road and adjacent land but does not include the shoulder of a road or a bicycle path, footpath or shared path.’ This aligns with the definition used in the Victorian Road Safety Road Rules 2017.
• We made it easier to understand the 50 cm space required for car doors.
• Tuscan Toppings is now included in the list of acceptable compactable landscape toppings.

2. Additional pavers now allowed to improve access

Several respondents requested more than one or 2 pavers be allowed on nature strips. The guidelines now allow up to 4 flat, non-slip pavers based on this feedback. We’ve also included to allow a sufficient gap between pavers for water to penetrate.

3. More plant options added to recommended species list

We’ve added several new species to the recommended list based on your suggestions. These will be available to view on our website.

4. The use of machinery is permitted subject to several conditions

At the Services Delegated Committee meeting on 11 August 2025, 2 community members shared their views about the use of machinery on nature strips. We’ve modified the guidelines to state: The use of hand tools when working within the nature strip is preferred. However, we’ve added guidelines for when the use of machinery is permitted:

a) 3 metre exclusion zone around trees

b) maximum tilling depth of 15 cm

c) avoidance of all visible surface roots

d) prior identification and avoidance of any infrastructure (via Before you Dig Australia)

e) machinery is used responsibly and in compliance with manufacturer specifications and instructions.