Parks, Playgrounds & Trees
Indigenous Vegetation Areas
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Indigenous Vegetation Sites
The City of Port Phillip sits within an area that ecologists call the 'Sandbelt' of southeastern, Melbourne. This is a landscape that was once dominated by indigenous plants and animals but has given way to an expanse of urban development. This city is very fortunate to have six remnant, indigenous flora sites.
Indigenous flora is precious and unique in their biodiversity and fragility, luckily locals have a passion and affinity for this flora and contribute greatly to its protection and care ensuring its survival.
Council contractors and local volunteer groups carefully maintain Port Phillip's indigenous vegetation areas, providing a valuable way of experiencing and understanding the local landscape prior to European settlement.
Indigenous Sites within the City of Port Phillip classed as Coastal Dune Scrub and Grassy Woodland Plains.
- Perc White/Sandridge Beach, Port Melbourne
- West Beach, St Kilda
- Point Ormond Reserve
- HR Johnson Reserve
- St Kilda Botanic Gardens
- Canterbury Road Urban Forest
- Elwood Foreshore
- Tee Tree Reserve
Perc White
Is a four hectare reserve on The Boulevard and Todd Road Port Melbourne bound by Webb Dock to the North, four main habitat types are present, they are Scrub, Grassland, Saltmarsh and Woodland. Several regionally significant species also occur naturally here.
Regionally significant species include, Atriplex cinera (Coast Saltbush), Carex pumila (Strand Sedge), Distichilis distichophylla (Australian Salt-grass), Spinifex sericeus (Hairy Spinifex), Sporobolus virginicus (Salt Couch) and Zoysia macrantha (Prickly couch). Of vital importance to the area is the Prickly Couch, a rare species which is only found at Perc White Reserve, Cape Otway and Westernport Bay.
Point Ormond Reserve
Point Ormond Reserve has high, local, ecological significance with thirty-nine plant species. All are indigenous to the region, contributing to the cities biodiversity. The proximity of the Coastal Dune Scrub to the CBD makes it one of the last, surviving, indigenous remnants in urban, Melbourne. Five regionally significant species are present: Allocasurina vertillicata (Drooping Sheoak), Alyxia buxifolia (Sea Box), Corra alba (White Correa), Myoporum insulare (Common Boobialla) and Olearia axillaris (Coast Daisy-bush).
West Beach
From pier to pavilion, the dunes at Fraser Street stretch along Beaconsfield Parade for approximately 180 meters. This is known as West Beach, it covers 1.2 hectares and has an ecological classification of Scrub, Grassland and Saltmarsh. Of the sixty-six species there thirty-one are indigenous giving the area a very high, local, ecological significance. Five regionally significant plant species are present: Carex pumila (Strand Sedge), Distichlis distichophylla (Australian Salt-grass), Spinifex sericeus (Hairy Spinifex), Sporobolus virginicus (Salt Couch), Suaeda australis (Austral seablite).
Other Indigenous Sites
- HR Johnson Reserve
- Gasworks Park
- St Kilda Botanic Gardens (Zone 3 Only)
- Tea Tree Reserve
- Alma Park
- Canterbury Road - Urban Forest
Indigenous Vegetation Maintenance
Indigenous vegetation areas are maintained by the City of Port Phillip, in partnership with local community groups including Earthcare St Kilda and Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore.
These groups undertake specialist maintenance of these areas and plant approximately 25,000 plants across the City of Port Phillip annually.
Natural Heritage Area Maintenance holds an understanding of the ecological processes, biological diversity and indigenous flora and fauna recognition. This involves a wide range of horticultural, arboricultural and trade tasks and specialist tasks associated with the routine maintenance of the Natural Heritage Areas.
In the City of Port Phillip there are 34 recognised natural heritage sites. Some of the sites are quite large while others are small reserves or streetscapes.
Citywide Parks Services undertake the maintenance of Natural Heritage Areas within the City of Port Phillip. The main areas of maintenance in Natural Heritage Areas are weed management, indigenous plant revegetation, litter collection as well as participating and supporting local community friends in managing these areas.
Charter for the Management of Indigenous Vegetation Areas
In 2002, Friends of Port Melbourne, Earthcare and City of Port Phillip signed a charter that committed all parties to work in partnership to "plan, maintain, protect and enhance local Natural Heritage Areas".
The Local Natural Heritage Charter for the Management of Native Vegetation acknowledges the existence and importance of the natural heritage areas and what remains of our indigenous vegetation in terms of their heritage and biodiversity values.
News and Projects
Replacement planting program
In 2012 the City of Port Phillip has a commitment to plant 25,000 plants within its native areas. This planting season between April and August, the following sites will be planted intensively
- Sandridge Foreshore, Port Melbourne
- Middle Park Dunes, Middle Park
- Canterbury Road, Middle Park
- Perc White, Port Melbourne
- Webb Dock, Port Melbourne
- Elwood Canal, Elwood
- Lagoon Reserve, Port Melbourne
Volunteering
Get involved!
For more information about volunteering and local community groups visit the Port Phillip Ecocentre webpages.
Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore
Friends of Port Melbourne's Foreshore meet each month at Perc White Reserve to weed, plant and prune vegetation. The group meets between 9.30 am and 12.00pm on either a Saturday or Sunday. Look for the Friends of the Port Melbourne Foreshore banner in the carpark.
BYO gloves, water and sun protection. Melways 56 G3 - Perc White Reserve
Upcoming Dates of 2012
| February | Sunday | 1st |
| March | Saturday | 4th |
| April | Sunday | 1st |
| May | Saturday | 5th |
| June | Sunday | 3rd |
| July | Saturday | 7th |
| August | Sunday | 5th |
| September | Saturday | 1st |
| October | Sunday | 7th |
| November | Saturday | 10th |
| December | Sunday | 2nd |
email fopmf@mc2.vicnet.net.au for more information
or write to Friends of Port Melbourne Foreshore - P.O. Box 560, Port Melbourne 3207.
Community Planting Days
Earthcare St Kilda
Earthcare St Kilda hold regular community planting days.
For more information about start and finish times and gathering points, contact Earthcare St Kilda via the website above or email earthcarestkilda@gmail.com
above - earthcare volunteers planting at West Beach Reserve
Contact Us
Department of Parks & Open Spaces
email : ospace@portphillip.vic.gov.au
mail : Parks & Open Spaces, Private Bag 3, St Kilda PO, 3182
phone : ASSIST Service Centre (03) 9209 6777
If you prefer use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online.
