The Embedding Green Infrastructure Toolkit has been developed by the Yarra and other councils to help green infrastructure become streamlined and cost effective.
The Embedding Green Infrastructure Best Practice Toolkit has been developed by Yarra with input from multiple councils to create a tool for all Victorian Local Government.
This toolkit helps Councils assess themselves against best practice green infrastructure guidance. It also provides a resource manual to help the implementation of green infrastructure become streamlined, cost effective and part of everyday business.
What is green infrastructure?
Green infrastructure refers to trees, shrubs, grasses and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) in urban environments. Green infrastructure addresses a direct and important link between greening and water management.
Healthy trees and vegetation rely on the provision of soil moisture to thrive and flourish, while vegetated areas play a key role in absorbing, treating and controlling stormwater runoff in urban areas.
The review identifies and defines key aspects of delivering Green Infrastructure that Councils need to fully embed into their organisation, this includes the development of a Best Practice Framework.
Case studies were developed to understand what best practice looks like. The four local governments included were: City of Yarra, City of Melbourne, City of Moreland and Brimbank City Council.
The Self-assessment Tool uses the Best Practice Framework to set out three stages and twelve aspects for evaluation by Councils to determine current strengths and weakness. The traffic-light assessment helps to identify key areas requiring further development to truly embed green infrastructure into Council operations as business-as-usual.
The process using the Self-Assessment Tool can facilitate communication between different areas of Council.
Internal systems and delivery of Green Infrastructure often requires a comprehensive understanding of both upfront and lifecycle costs of the works.
The Economic Framework provides a template for sound and transparent Green Infrastructure for business planning, internal Council budgetary purposes, as well as State and Federal project funding applications.
Strengthened internal systems can improve organisational support for Green Infrastructure, further embedding the practice as business-as-usual.
Design Guidelines support the successful integration of green infrastructure into streetscape works to improve the environmental, social quality and amenity of an area and to contribute to the longer-term aim of improving the liveability of our cities and communities.
This guide is intended for Council staff who are involved in infrastructure planning, design, construction and maintenance of three types of streetscape works:
- New kerb outstands
- Kerb and channel upgrades
- Footpath renewals
These design guidelines can be included in a Council's own standard drawing collection. The design guidelines can be used independently from the rest of the toolkit.
'Embedding Green Infrastructure Best Practice Toolkit' is the result of the Victorian Climate Change Grant from the Department of the Environment, Water, and Planning (DELWP).
Yarra is the lead Partner in this project, with other Project Partners being Cities of Melbourne, Brimbank and Moreland, the Green Infrastructure Research Group, and the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action.