Native vegetation areas

The City of Port Phillip sits within an area that ecologists call the 'Sandbelt' of south eastern Melbourne. A landscape that was once dominated by indigenous plants and animals has given way to an expanse of urban development. This city is fortunate to have six remnant, indigenous flora sites.

Indigenous vegetation 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 our City classed as Coastal Dune Scrub and Grassy Woodland Plains:

Indigenous vegetation maintenance

Indigenous vegetation areas are maintained by the City of Port Phillip, in partnership with local community groups including Earthcare St Kilda.

This group will 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.

Volunteers putting plants in a garden bed along a footpath at First Point, Port Melbourne

Community planting day at First Point, Port Melbourne

A group of four volunteers planting trees in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens

National Tree Day planting at St Kilda Botanical Gardens.

Coastal Flora in Port Phillip

Over time, the growth of the city has had an impact on native plant life and animal populations. Most of the remaining native planting areas are located on or near the foreshore. We are lucky to have several highly engaged and passionate community groups, like Earthcare St Kilda, who we work with to ensure these pockets of native growth remain for generations to come. Part of this work involves adding around 25,000 plants to these spots a year. 

This video, a joint project of the Port Phillip EcoCentre and City of Port Phillip, celebrates the connections that people have to coastal ecosystems and role that native vegetation plays along our beaches.

To assist the City of Port Phillip to manage and enhance native vegetation areas within the municipality, we have created the Foreshore and Hinterland Vegetation Management Plan (PDF 15 MB).

Online: Online Services
Phone: 03 9209 6777
Post: Park Services, City of Port Phillip, Private Bag No. 3, St Kilda PO VIC 3182