2019-08-09
Canberrans can now legally use their nature strips to grow food or plant small native plants, thanks to a recent change to nature strip guidelines.
In January 2016, then-TAMS Minister Shane Rattenbury called for public input on a draft guide that would allow residents to utilise residential nature strips for small scale food production or gardens. Within weeks of the announcement, Minister Rattenbury changed portfolio responsibilities and was no longer TAMS Minister.
“Nature strips are a key feature of Canberra’s garden city character. They are designed to present an attractive street frontage and are typically planted with grass and street trees,” Mr Rattenbury said at the time.
“In the face of issues such as climate change, peak oil and drought we must start to think more strategically about Canberra’s food security, which is largely reliant on produce imported from interstate. Simple measures that allow and encourage residents to grow their own food will have an impact in the longer term on Canberra’s reliance on imported produce.”
Three years on, the Greens have together welcomed this important change for the community.
“The Greens have been pushing for residents to be able to use their nature strips to either grow food, or support local biodiversity through planting small native plants, and now they can,” Greens Planning and Sustainable Cities spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur said today.
“I’m really pleased the Government has finally released guidelines to help Canberrans better use nature strips.”
Statement ends