Kingston Council Update

Key points

• Launch of ‘Talking Kingston’  – a year-round consultation that invites the community to provide feedback and ideas on projects and initiatives to feed into future Council budgets. Talking Kingston will provide the community with early input and a greater level of influence over Council decisions. It will also promote increased transparency, with Council regularly reporting back to the community on where their feedback has impacted key outcomes.  Access Talking Kingston via the Your Kingston Your Say Page
• ‘Integrated Water Strategy adopted’ – Conserving drinking water, increasing the use of alternative water, improving our flood management (including prevention and response) and improving the quality of stormwater runoff that flows into our watercourses and into Port Phillip Bay are the major objectives of Kingston’s new Integrated Water Strategy. The strategy and supporting documents received strong support during public consultation held across July, August and September this year and will guide our water management for the next decade
• Community consultation on Urban Forest Strategy – Consultation is set to kick off on the draft Urban Forest Strategy. Kingston’s canopy cover is currently low at just 12.3% and projections show that without intervention, it will decrease by 2030. The strategy establishes the direction and actions to increase canopy cover across Kingston to 20% by 2050
• Peri-urban Weed Management Partnership funding from DELWP. Council, in partnership with the Bunurong Land Council are successful in obtaining $400K funding over 4 years to set up an indigenous ranger team and work on weeds and ‘return to country’ projects.

Updates for bushland team

• Recruiting for two new rangers now and an apprentice early in new year.
• Update on weed contract,  Seeds are doing a good job during a very wet spring.
• Habitat hectare assessment being undertaken by Practical Ecology, council is meeting up with consultant prior to Christmas break to review how they are tracking. Report due March next year.
• National Standards – Council staff undertook some training recently and will be incorporating the National Standards principles into maintenance programs early in new year.
• Bradshaw Victorian Environment Friends Network grant. Lee met with fauna consultant to look at appropriate species habitat boxes and their monitoring. Awaiting quote.

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