Lack of federal policy prevents urban greening, says report

Research by Josh Byrne & Associates has identified the top 10 challenges preventing greener and more liveable cities — with the federal government’s lack of formal recognition of the value of plants and trees in cities said to be the single greatest challenge of all.

The research took the form of a three-part policy guide, commissioned by Horticulture Innovation Australia for the 202020 Vision — a collaboration of 400 members working to increase urban green space in Australia by 20% by 2020. It not only recognises major policy ‘pain points’ — such as excessive clearing, poor planning decisions and lack of incentives for green infrastructure developments — but also opportunities for all levels of government, as well as the private sector, to overcome these in order to realise the benefits of leafy urban areas.

“The research found change needs to be driven from a top-down and bottom-up approach in order to truly succeed,” said Crosbie Lorimer, director at Clouston Associates. “Ultimately, however, it will be leadership from a national policy level that will eventually drive change, even if it may inevitably take local- and state-level influence and pressure to bring that about.”

“National-level support is required to provide not only guidance but a real incentive for state and local governments to align with national objectives,” added Gregory Priest, project manager – policy & strategy, Josh Byrne & Associates.

Priest acknowledged that this gap in policy has been somewhat addressed by the federal government’s recently released Australian Infrastructure Plan, Smart Cities Plan and Sustainable Cities Investment Fund, all of which recognise the value of urban green space. However, he noted, “these do not provide concrete recommendations for action”.

The research also revealed local government is the key provider of green space and it is this level of government that is well positioned to create change, but the structures and policies in place that protect and create green space differ greatly around Australia. Additionally, there is often a lack of clear urban development policy guidance from states to promote creation of new green space in greenfields development, which may result in the provision of smaller residential blocks that cannot support healthy gardens.

Recommendations from the report include the need for state, territory and local government to improve their understanding, planning and management of current and future urban green spaces. According to Cathy Oke, Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, The University of Melbourne, “Improved land use policy is also a key recommendation.

“Implementing clear guidance for the provision of adequate green space requirements within state level urban land use and development policies would assist local governments immensely and provide them with a firm policy basis through which they can work with developers to provide sufficient green space in our communities,” Oke continued.

“Additionally, embedding urban green space protection and enhancement principles in existing national, state and territory legislation, and encouraging developers and architects to integrate green space needs within urban building design and construction practices, would further assist in creating a more coherent understanding of green space.”

The policy guide can be downloaded from http://202020vision.com.au/help-hub/.