By Gabriella Payne
Colourful, new above ground planter boxes have been installed along busy pedestrian thoroughfares in both Dandenong and Noble Park, brightening up the area and bringing a bit of nature to the concrete urban landscape.
Locals and visitors will be able to enjoy the pop of colour these planter boxes add to the streets and the variety of trees and succulents that fill them.
The plants were chosen for their visual appeal and ability to endure warmer weather as we move into summer.
Greater Dandenong City Council decided to implement the concept after it was first trialled in Multicultural Place, Springvale and was hailed as a huge success, providing unique, leafy spaces for shoppers to enjoy and rest for a moment.
After a tough year being locked down in the urban landscape, the council recognised that many people took to nature as respite, as a way of escaping all that was going on in the world.
Taking inspiration from this, the council is working hard to provide more green spaces for the community to enjoy, believing it’s important to introduce some of that nature into the everyday environment.
As Covid restrictions ease throughout Melbourne, these planter boxes are perfectly timed to welcome people back into shopping precincts as the Christmas countdown begins.
They not only provide visual appeal to passers by, but also work towards a sustainable future as the council aims to tackle the ‘climate and ecological emergency’ that it declared back in January this year.
Greater Dandenong City Council hopes to begin a number of other planting projects in the future, as evidence grows around the world about the threat of climate change and urban areas heating up.
A biodiversity action plan is currently being developed by the council, and members of the community are encouraged to have their say on the matter.
Visit www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au to learn more.
