We need to protect Melbourne’s Green Wedges - “the lungs of Melbourne” - for the health and safety of all Victorians.

We call on Nillumbik Shire Councillors to abandon ‘their’ draft Green Wedge Management Plan and immediately start acting on the existing Green Wedge Management Plan.

The importance of protecting and enhancing the most intact of all Green Wedge areas in the State of Victoria is strongly supported by the vast majority of the local community. This was made clear during Council community engagement processes, was reaffirmed by Council’s independently recruited community panel, and demonstrated again by an overwhelming majority of submissions.

• More than 80% of the 747 written submissions made by the community did not approve of Council’s Draft Green Wedge Management Plan.
• 16 Nillumbik scientists requested a rewrite of the draft, calling for the inclusion of climate mitigation and environmental protection as central themes.

In seeking to remove the current plan’s emphasis on conserving the natural environment, Council has ignored the vast majority of the community.

Your draft Green Wedge Management Plan DOES NOT reflect the community's views.

The people of Victoria insist on continuing protection of this precious natural asset, and do not support your draft plan which seeks to undermine environmental protection and promote inappropriate development.

Please sign our petition, and share widely.
Visit loveyourgreenwedge.com for more information.

What is a Green Wedge? 

“Green Wedges” are non-urban areas that separate the built-up areas of metropolitan Melbourne. They have been well defined in Melbourne's planning policies since the late 1960s and are intended for conservation, agriculture, recreation, low impact tourism and important functions such as water storage. Nillumbik's Green Wedge is one of twelve.

Where is Nillumbik?

The Shire of Nillumbik is on Melbourne’s north-eastern fringe, 25 km from the city’s centre. Nillumbik was established as a conservation shire and the Green Wedge covers 91 per cent of its total area. The shire includes suburban areas such as Eltham and Diamond Creek, as well as rural villages like Hurstbridge, St Andrews and Panton Hill.

Why are we so passionate about protecting Nillumbik’s Green Wedge?

The local community has defended the Green Wedge with great passion whenever threats have arisen. Once again we face a strongly pro-development Council trying to dilute the planning protections that ensure the integrity of the Green Wedge. As always, this is being done in the interests of the few, not the many. Victoria has experienced extensive biodiversity loss over the past two centuries due to land clearing, pests, sprawling development, water pollution and climate change. This loss impacts on the future health, wealth and prosperity of all Victorian communities. The need to protect remaining indigenous biodiversity is urgent.