Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Environment and Planning Committee

Inquiry into Environmental Infrastructure for Growing Populations

Ms CONNOLLY (Tarneit) (10:12): As both the member for Tarneit and chair of the Environment and Planning Committee, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise and speak on the inquiry into environmental infrastructure for growing populations. This inquiry went ahead and examined the many factors relevant to current and, most importantly, future provision of environmental infrastructure in Melbourne and in our growing regional centres and peri-urban areas. I want to follow the member for Mornington and acknowledge every one of my committee members who joined me during this inquiry and thank them for their hard work. I also want to acknowledge everyone who made a submission during the inquiry, including local councils, government departments, community environmental groups as well as the passionate individuals who took the time to share their experiences, their research and their ideas with the committee. Lastly, I would also like to thank the committee secretariat—Nathan Bunt and his team—for their tireless work, their really hard work, over the past year to assist in preparing this report.

The report rightly reflects what many of us already know: that our parks and open spaces are absolutely vital to our local streets and neighbourhoods that make up Victoria’s suburbs, towns and cities. Whether it is here in Melbourne or out in our regions, green space matters and it is not only good for us—good for our physical health and our mental wellbeing—it is also absolutely critical for our state’s ecology and biodiversity. What this report shows us quite strongly is the need to ensure that, like other forms of urban infrastructure, our environmental infrastructure also needs to keep up with Victoria’s growing population, whether that is through the provision of new open spaces or indeed innovation in the ways in which that open space is provided and used.

Now, whilst COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on the population growth trends, it has also become apparent that the impacts of the pandemic have increased demand for and the expectations for not just open space but quality green open space—its accessibility and its usability—for people at all stages of their lives. Hearing about this need is one thing, but seeing it and living it is a whole other experience. Access to quality green open space is something that unfortunately is not shared equally amongst all Victorians depending on where they live, and this is something that families right across Victoria want to see improved by all levels of government.

These comments are certainly reflective of the Wyndham municipality and the many families that I represent, with tree canopy covering less than 5 per cent of that LGA. So I am very pleased to say that the report does recommend a consistent reporting framework for tree canopy targets and stronger tree canopy control right across Melbourne, as well as the adoption of tree canopy targets, most importantly, for Melbourne’s growth areas. This is so very important for so many of our suburbs, and much-loved suburbs like my Truganina and Tarneit. With low tree canopy coverage and rolling urban development we are now experiencing a 3-degree heat difference between people living in Melbourne’s west and those in the much older, established, leafy eastern suburbs. We need to, and we can, do something about this.

The report lists 57 recommendations for meeting the demand for environmental infrastructure in our growth areas, including better planning and strategising for the development of parks, walking spaces, bike trails and reserves across urban, suburban and regional areas. The report also highlights that government can work more closely with councils to ensure that future estates have adequate green environmental infrastructure and resources available for residents sooner rather than later. I am very pleased also to say, on a personal note, that we have already seen some action taken on rectifying the lack of green canopy coverage in the outer suburbs, because last year I was very fortunate to stand alongside the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change to announce $5 million for 500 000 trees to be planted across Melbourne’s west over the next two years, which, if successful, could very much be replicated across other outer suburban areas and regional Victoria. Just listening to the people in my electorate, I know this initiative is hugely popular, and what I certainly hope is that this report proves to be a springboard for more initiatives and projects that make Victoria—our Victoria—a livable state.