June 2024 update

June 2024 update

Council has reaffirmed its commitment to adopting and starting to implement a Glen Eira Biodiversity Plan in 2024–2025, as part of the Council Plan Annual Action Plan 2024—2025 endorsed at the June Council meeting.

Next steps

To support this goal, we’ll continue to engage meaningfully with Traditional Owners and collaborate with our neighbouring councils for new ideas and opportunities. We think it’s important to engage deeply with all stakeholders to develop a Biodiversity Plan which safeguards Glen Eira’s environment into the future.

This means instead of seeking community feedback in June, as we suggested in the June Glen Eira News, we’ll keep doing the meaningful consultation and research needed for this important Plan before we share a draft with the community. We now plan to engage with the community on a draft Plan after the 2024 local government election later this year.

In the meantime, we’ll continue taking significant action to enhance Glen Eira’s biodiversity, in line with the actions of our Urban Forest Strategy, Our Climate Emergency Response Strategy 2021–2025 | Dhumbali Wurrungi-biik Parbin-ata, and other council plans and programs.

What we have heard so far

Your thoughts and ideas continue to shape the development of our Biodiversity Plan and we thank you for your contribution. You can download a copy of the 2024 Engagement Report from the Document Library on this page.

Last year, we heard from respondents that:

  • Biodiversity is important

    Biodiversity is very important to respondents, and they believe their actions can make an important contribution to protecting local biodiversity in Glen Eira. They’d also like more information on local biodiversity and how to protect it, including through taking part in local biodiversity activities or events organised by Council.

  • Protecting plants and animals

    Small birds, native trees, and native plants/shrubs are some of the most important plant and animal species that should be protected in Glen Eira.

  • Community actions

    Planting more native trees and shrubs, increasing education and awareness and creating habitats for animals are some of the important actions the community can take to help protect and promote local biodiversity.

  • Biodiversity hotspots

    The Stands of River Red Gums at the Carnegie and Murrumbeena train stations, Caulfield Racecourse Reserve, and Caulfield Park are the top biodiversity hotspots in Glen Eira and should be prioritised for promotion and protection.

  • Council actions

    Protecting native trees and shrubs, planting indigenous vegetation and helping raise community awareness through education and citizen science programs are some of the key actions Council can take to help protect and promote local biodiversity.

2023–24 engagement

Your say on biodiversity in Glen Eira

Protecting our native species requires the combined effort of everyone in Glen Eira, so we’re calling on you to help.

Biodiversity has wide reaching economic, environmental, and health and wellbeing benefits that support our ecosystems and protect our quality of life.

While Glen Eira has been urbanised for many decades, there are still some local places where native indigenous species have survived. When managed in the right way, our urban environment can both protect and promote biodiversity.

Why are we planning for biodiversity?

We want to expand the work we are already doing to protect our native environment, and increase our community’s knowledge and efforts to protect and promote our biodiversity, now and into the future.

How to get involved

You can get involved and share your thoughts through our survey, workshops and engagement activities. Your views on biodiversity will help us develop actions in our first Biodiversity Plan.

Come along to a range of nature walks, citizen science programs, workshops, and school activities being held. These activities will support further conversations with our community about our native species and how to protect them.

Key dates

Friday 24 November 2023 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Great Southern BioBlitz walk and talk with Gio Fitzpatrick - Elsternwick Plaza

https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/whats-on/great-southern-bioblitz-2023

Saturday 25 November 2023 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Great Southern BioBlitz walk and talk with Gio Fitzpatrick - Boyd Park, Murrumbeena

https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/whats-on/great-southern-bioblitz-2023-boyd-park

Sunday 26 November 2023 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Great Southern BioBlitz walk and talk with Gio Fitzpatrick - Mallanbool Reserve

https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/whats-on/great-southern-bioblitz-2023-mallanbool-reserve