The Greening group has not been very active this last year. At the February Review meeting of BSFG, it was decided to merge the Greening group with the Ecologically Sustainable Design and Development, and Sustainable Agriculture groups.
Past Activities:-
Since convening after the 2022 BSFG Review, projects included “Plant-A Tree” days and “The Art of Nature” days run by Kate, assisted by the group, and funded by Council’s Social Inclusion Action Group Grants, which attracted lots of participants.
Dr Greg Moore spoke to a crowd in 2023, giving many reasons backed by data, why trees and sufficient canopy cover are vital to human habitation, biodiversity and protecting infrastructure such as roads.
The Greening group attempted to encourage Council to allow people to plant on their nature strips. Andie Guerin of the Regent Honeyeater project spoke to a BSFG meeting, with a slide presentation on how this was successfully done in Violet Town, and the pitfalls. Despite Council guidelines permitting certain types of nature strip planting, we were not permitted to encourage planting on nature strips.
A BSFG group led by Sue Campbell, spoke at a Council meeting against the removal of the mature street tree outside the Reject Shop, pointing out that Council’s own commissioned report from company Enspec did not mention removal as a solution, only root trimming and root barriers. The mature tree was removed despite this, and it will take decades before the replacement tree will provide the same shade and amenity. There have been other mature trees removed and not replaced in town for example, Carrier St outside Hollywoods Pizza, and recently a eucalypt overhanging a seat by the walking track, near the Moira Aboriginal Garden.
We proposed to Council to improve shade and cooling for surrounding houses, with planting of 3 open grassed spaces on Goodwin and Mackellar streets. However these ideas received pushback from a Council “Open Spaces”employee citing future Council plans–which appear to have been new playgrounds and one lone eucalypt, still with much room for native planting for cooling and amenity. Planting on these open grassed spaces could be further pursued with ready grant proposals, and precedents such as the planting in open space near the Moira Gardens by Lions with Queen’s Jubilee funding.
Several members participated in the Council and Regent Honeyeater Project planting day in parkland near Jaycee Island. This was positive, but does not address the issue of cooling around housing in less well-off areas of town or in new subdivisions where narrow nature strips prevent the planting of large shade trees, unlike in older more established areas. The same urban heating effect comes from the lack of blocks set aside in new subdivisions for the provision of local quality green spaces. In the 3-30-300 rule, 300 refers to no more than 300 metres from each home to a quality green space.
Likewise, off-sets allowed by council through DEECA for developers to use, do nothing to cool urban Benalla and towns, as planting could occur anywhere in the Broken River valley.
We received correspondence from a community member about Churchill reserve and the housing development in the west behind it. Concern is around potential removal of trees and reduction of quality open space associated with Council’s proposal to build the new Indoor Rec centre at Churchill reserve, with associated parking, and potential allowed for further sporting development there. Greening members submitted to Council, that no allowance for significant street shade trees or local quality green spaces has been given in the west housing development, and combined with the potential reduction at Churchill, the area (as one example in town) will be severely lacking in canopy cover.
Concern was also shared with us through email correspondence from a member, about the removal of 4 mature paddock trees further out of town near the truck stop on Winton Rd.
We note that the 3-30-300 rule is now featuring with many Melbourne Councils to guide their planting and tree management, and would like to know what Benalla’s rural and urban tree canopy cover is, and Council’s plan to improve it. (3 mature trees visible from each home, 30% canopy cover, and a maximum 300 meters to a quality green space from all residences and work places).
The ABC News website recently published concern from the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance about the many regional towns set to lose half their already inadequate canopy cover (some only 7%), when mature trees reach their end-of-life in 30 years. Replacement trees need to be planted now.
Benalla Council is part of the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance which reports many councils with:-
Thank you to original Greening group members: Christine Holmes, Sue Campbell, Kate Holmes and Karen Nankervis.
Judy Schwarzman
AGM Thursday 28 May 2026.
Past Activities:-
Since convening after the 2022 BSFG Review, projects included “Plant-A Tree” days and “The Art of Nature” days run by Kate, assisted by the group, and funded by Council’s Social Inclusion Action Group Grants, which attracted lots of participants.
Dr Greg Moore spoke to a crowd in 2023, giving many reasons backed by data, why trees and sufficient canopy cover are vital to human habitation, biodiversity and protecting infrastructure such as roads.
The Greening group attempted to encourage Council to allow people to plant on their nature strips. Andie Guerin of the Regent Honeyeater project spoke to a BSFG meeting, with a slide presentation on how this was successfully done in Violet Town, and the pitfalls. Despite Council guidelines permitting certain types of nature strip planting, we were not permitted to encourage planting on nature strips.
A BSFG group led by Sue Campbell, spoke at a Council meeting against the removal of the mature street tree outside the Reject Shop, pointing out that Council’s own commissioned report from company Enspec did not mention removal as a solution, only root trimming and root barriers. The mature tree was removed despite this, and it will take decades before the replacement tree will provide the same shade and amenity. There have been other mature trees removed and not replaced in town for example, Carrier St outside Hollywoods Pizza, and recently a eucalypt overhanging a seat by the walking track, near the Moira Aboriginal Garden.
We proposed to Council to improve shade and cooling for surrounding houses, with planting of 3 open grassed spaces on Goodwin and Mackellar streets. However these ideas received pushback from a Council “Open Spaces”employee citing future Council plans–which appear to have been new playgrounds and one lone eucalypt, still with much room for native planting for cooling and amenity. Planting on these open grassed spaces could be further pursued with ready grant proposals, and precedents such as the planting in open space near the Moira Gardens by Lions with Queen’s Jubilee funding.
Several members participated in the Council and Regent Honeyeater Project planting day in parkland near Jaycee Island. This was positive, but does not address the issue of cooling around housing in less well-off areas of town or in new subdivisions where narrow nature strips prevent the planting of large shade trees, unlike in older more established areas. The same urban heating effect comes from the lack of blocks set aside in new subdivisions for the provision of local quality green spaces. In the 3-30-300 rule, 300 refers to no more than 300 metres from each home to a quality green space.
Likewise, off-sets allowed by council through DEECA for developers to use, do nothing to cool urban Benalla and towns, as planting could occur anywhere in the Broken River valley.
We received correspondence from a community member about Churchill reserve and the housing development in the west behind it. Concern is around potential removal of trees and reduction of quality open space associated with Council’s proposal to build the new Indoor Rec centre at Churchill reserve, with associated parking, and potential allowed for further sporting development there. Greening members submitted to Council, that no allowance for significant street shade trees or local quality green spaces has been given in the west housing development, and combined with the potential reduction at Churchill, the area (as one example in town) will be severely lacking in canopy cover.
Concern was also shared with us through email correspondence from a member, about the removal of 4 mature paddock trees further out of town near the truck stop on Winton Rd.
We note that the 3-30-300 rule is now featuring with many Melbourne Councils to guide their planting and tree management, and would like to know what Benalla’s rural and urban tree canopy cover is, and Council’s plan to improve it. (3 mature trees visible from each home, 30% canopy cover, and a maximum 300 meters to a quality green space from all residences and work places).
The ABC News website recently published concern from the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance about the many regional towns set to lose half their already inadequate canopy cover (some only 7%), when mature trees reach their end-of-life in 30 years. Replacement trees need to be planted now.
Benalla Council is part of the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance which reports many councils with:-
- under-resourcing;
- under-funding;
- shortage of arborists;
- lack of priority given to this asset;
- needing more greening, more staff and more equipment, on top of
- climate-change hitting trees very hard and needing watering.
Thank you to original Greening group members: Christine Holmes, Sue Campbell, Kate Holmes and Karen Nankervis.
Judy Schwarzman
AGM Thursday 28 May 2026.
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