Principle 2: Protect and create greenspace

Keeping Brisbane clean and green will make our city liveable and sustainable for our children, and their children to follow. More greenspace will mean a healthier city with new places to relax as a community.

How we'll get there

1. Propose to amend Brisbane City Plan 2014 to allow the addition of a rooftop amenity space while not being included as a ‘storey’ for the purpose of maximum storeys allowable for a new development.

Track Council's progress on this principle

Action 2.1: Protect and increase Brisbane's natural habitat from 37% to 40% by 2031

Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031

Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031 highlights our city's key sustainability achievements and outlines future targets and commitments to drive us towards a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city.

Read more about Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031. 

Environmental Offsets and Restoration program

In line with Brisbane. Clean, Green, Sustainable 2017-2031, Council is currently undertaking planting and restoration works across Brisbane as part of the Offsets and Restoration program. The Offsets and Restoration program plays a vital role in helping Council achieve its goal of 40% natural habitat cover on mainland Brisbane by 2031.

Read more about environmental offsets.

Bushland Acquisition

Council’s Bushland Acquisition program achieved its target of acquiring an additional 750 hectares of bushland by 2020. 

Read more about bushland acquisition.

Wildlife Movement Solutions

Council continues to protect Brisbane’s wildlife habitat. Wildlife movement solutions have been installed at a number of locations across the city including Whites Hill Reserve and Belmont Hills bushland in 2019.

Read more about Wildlife Movement Solutions.

Significant landscape tree protection

Council is proposing amendments to Brisbane City Plan 2014 - Major amendment package E to support changes to the significant landscape tree overlay to provide additional protection to trees across the city.

Read about City Plan amendments adopted and in progress.

Action 2.2: Work with schools and P&Cs to open up ovals to community groups outside school hours

School Sport and Recreation Facility Upgrade Program

Council and Education Queensland’s School Sport and Recreation Facility Upgrade Program provides financial assistance to Brisbane state schools to fund the upgrade of existing school sport and recreation facilities to increase community and school use.

Read more about the School Sport and Recreation Facility Upgrade Program.

Action 2.3: Open up under-used public land for community sport and recreation.

The Brisbane Off-Road Cycling project

Council is creating a city-wide plan to provide off-road cycling facilities for children, adults and families within bushland reserves and parks.

The project aims to meet the needs of the rapidly growing off-road cycling community by developing a plan to provide a safe, well-planned and connected outdoor recreation network that is accessible. The plan would also cater to children, adults, families and people of varying abilities.

Read more about the Brisbane Off-Road Cycling project.

Foreshore Dog Off-Leash Area project

Council and the Queensland Government’s Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service are working together to investigate options to establish and manage foreshore dog off-leash areas.

Suburban foreshores that may be included as potential sites for foreshore dog off-leash areas include, Brighton, Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Nudgee Beach, Wynnum, Manly and Lota. 

Read more about Foreshore Dog Off-Leash Areas in Brisbane.

Drone racing and model aeroplanes

Council’s Parks Policy and Planning team worked with Council’s landfill remediation experts and parks coordinators to relocate an existing model aero club to the top of the remediated landfill site at Bill Brown Sports Reserve in Bracken Ridge.

The Park Use Consent for the model aero club has been renewed for an additional six months. A second flying area for a drone racing group continues to be trialled. Both groups are working together to ensure their operations run smoothly side by side.

Action 2.4: Make it easier for new developments to include rooftop gardens and green open space

Rooftop gardens for new developments

Council is proposing amendments to Brisbane City Plan 2014 to encourage the addition of rooftop amenity spaces, including rooftop gardens for new developments. Public consultation on the amendment is expected in 2020.

Action 2.5: Provide more shade trees around bus stops and along walkways

Street tree planting

Council's ongoing Street Tree Planting program provides benefits that are important to the city's liveability and subtropical landscape character. Street trees help provide cooler, greener, more comfortable pathways and bus stops, and encourage active transport options including walking and cycling. 

In 2018-19, Council’s street tree planting program has planted more than 12,000 new trees including:

• more than 1300 trees as part of community street tree planting events
• more than 4000 trees along walking routes to schools.

Council’s Community Street Tree Planting program invites the community to plant street trees in their local streets and take ownership of the trees as they grow. As part of this program, eight community planting events are held each year in different suburbs across Brisbane.

Read more about street tree planting and events and bus stop shade tree planting.

Greener Suburbs program

Council’s Greener Suburbs’ program is aimed at improving the clean and green feel of locations right across Brisbane through increased tree planting and landscaping improvements along major road corridors, commercial centres and selected parks. Over the 2019-20 financial year the focus of activities will occur in the suburbs of Paddington, Zillmere, Greenslopes, Murarrie, and Lutwyche.

The inaugural ‘Greenslopes Greener Suburbs’ event was held on 13 October 2019, with 104 volunteers planting 163 new trees along the streets of Greenslopes. As part of the event two celebration park trees were planted by the Lord Mayor and his family on the day.

Read more about the Greener Suburbs program.

Brisbane's beautiful Jacarandas and other flowering trees

As part of Council’s vision for a clean and green, vibrant subtropical city, Council is committed to bringing spectacular tree colour to our city including the planting of Jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia).

The Jacaranda is an iconic tree in Brisbane and the Lord Mayor has committed to new tree plantings in parks and streets in Bulimba, New Farm, St Lucia and surrounds.

Read more about where you can find Brisbane's beautiful Jacarandas and other flowering trees near you.