Love Your Green Wedge!

Love Your Nillumbik

If you live in Nillumbik, you live in the Green Wedge shire. Many Nillumbik residents love where they live because of the bush, and the wildlife in it. But most residents are unaware that Council has changed how the Green Wedge is protected. Without people like you caring and sharing your voice, the Green Wedge could become increasingly threatened by over-development and poor protections.

Who are we? We’re concerned locals who want to see the Green Wedge better protected for future generations, and believe this is an unmissable opportunity to engage the community in saving Nillumbik's green spaces.

What is the Green Wedge?

Nillumbik was formed in 1994 as a conservation shire with our green wedge as its focus. “Green wedges” are non-urban areas that surround the built-up areas of metropolitan Melbourne. They have been well defined in Melbourne's planning policies since 1966 and are intended for conservation, agriculture, recreation, low impact tourism and important functions such as water storage. Nillumbik's green wedge is one of twelve.

Find out more about Green Wedges, here

Why is it important?

Nillumbik's green wedge is the most intact of all twelve wedges, mainly because the local community has defended it with great passion when threats have arisen. Although it is the most intact, it is under the same pressures that other wedges have degraded under. Victoria has experienced extensive biodiversity loss over the past two centuries due to land clearing, pests, land development, water pollution and climate change. This loss impacts on the future health, wealth and prosperity of all Victorian communities. The need to protect remaining indigenous biodiversity is an urgent one. In Victoria, approximately 4,000 habitat hectares of native vegetation continues to be lost every year.

What is Council up to?

Nillumbik's previous Council revised the shire's Green Wedge Management Plan (GWMP). The original GWMP was finalised in 2010 and was a fifteen year plan. Council's latest review got underway in early 2018. It's been a lengthy process costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In late 2018, an independently recruited community panel of Nillumbik residents presented their recommendations to Council. In 2019, the new draft GWMP was brought before Council. The community had the opportunity to examine the rewritten plan and make submissions in response. Both the community and the panel strongly support strengthened protections, and the restoration of our Green Wedge. Council ignored the community and pushed through with their revised GWMP in 2019.

Protecting the Green Wedge

As we recover from 2020, it’s vital that our community considers the future of the Green Wedge. Most Nillumbik residents love the green spaces in their shire and want to see it protected for future generations. This was made clear by the community response to the new Green Wedge Management Plan. If this is how you feel, support the wider community in actions against overdevelopment, and regularly remind Council that we want a healthy, thriving Green Wedge shire.

TAKE ACTION

Why The Wedge Matters

Green Spaces

Spending time in nature reduces stress levels, and exposure to it keeps kids bright and healthy. Nillumbik is the Green Wedge shire, many of us live here precisely because it is green, and we want to keep it that way.

Agriculture

The Green Wedge doesn't just protect wilderness; but agricultural land, too. The health of agricultural land depends on sustainable land practices, and the existence of healthy biodiversity. Victoria's future food security depends on places like the Green Wedge.

Safe Climate

It’s no secret that climate change is affecting Nillumbik. Drier and hotter summers are fanning bushfire concerns across the shire. Protecting existing ecosystems sequesters carbon, and reduces the severity of fires by keeping the surface of the land cool.

Economy

Victoria’s natural environment generates $1 billion in tourism for Victoria’s economy per annum, while supporting 14,000 jobs across the state. Biodiversity is also essential for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors; contributing $8 billion annually.

SPEAK UP FOR THE GREEN WEDGE

What You Can Do

Support our community

We are lucky in Nillumbik to have a switched-on community who regularly stand up for our Green Wedge and the environment. There is often plenty to get involved in, or to support, if you are looking to protect the Green Wedge from unnecessary development.

Make sure to sign up below to get updates, or regularly check in on this website!

You're not alone in loving your Green Wedge.

The community response to Council's revised Green Wedge Management Plan was overwhelming. 70% said they want the GWMP to prioritise the protection and enhancement of the environment. 62% want more detailed actions in relation to environmental conservation and protection, biodiversity and climate change. Overall, the majority objected to Council's new GWMP.

About Us

This website campaign is part of a wider community effort to protect the Green Wedge. We're ordinary Nillumbik residents who want to see the Green Wedge conserved for the enjoyment and safety of future generations.

We are not an organisation, answer to no Council or government body, and are campaigning on our own pooled resources. We love living in Nillumbik for its wild and green spaces. We want to see it thrive for all time to come.

Your Green Wedge