Natural Environment

Person standing in nature reserve

Maroondah contains distinctive and diverse bushland, creeks and wetlands and is home to an abundance of indigenous plants (over 500 species!), wildlife and fungi.

Natural areas support a rich diversity of lifeforms (including many rare and threatened species). They also provide us with the air we breathe and enhance our wellbeing.

Our Bushland Management staff, environmental contractors and dedicated and highly valued environmental volunteers all work together to protect, maintain and enhance Maroondah’s beautiful natural areas.

Introducing Nature News - Join today!

Brought to you by the Maroondah City Council Revegetation and Community Team, our Nature News e-newsletter informs and inspires a connection with and care for our natural Maroondah environment. 

By subscribing you will be kept up to date with current and future community projects, environmental volunteer activities and events, and a wide range of articles about the importance of a healthy environment.  

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Vision 

Waterways and green assets such as trees, biodiversity and open space are protected through measures embraced by the Maroondah community

Directions

The municipality is physically dominated by two ridgelines - the Wicklow Hills Ridge and the Loughnan-Warranwood Ridge - that  have unique flora and fauna characteristics. These ridgelines, along with the five major creeks, Mullum Mullum, Dandenong, Taralla, Bungalook, Jumping and Brushy, strongly contribute to the environmental significance of the municipality. The extensive urban forest canopy across the municipality further adds to the strong sense of place and value that our community has for the natural environment.

Council manages this special landscape through its direct management of the 42 bushland reserves within its ownership. Management is guided by a target of no net loss of the area, and quality, of existing native vegetation on land managed by the Council.

Other areas of land of environmental significance are protected by Council’s various planning controls, which aim to conserve and enhance the character of the special landscapes and protect areas of significant vegetation.

Council also collaborates with many other public and private land owners and partners to achieve a clean, green, and sustainable community. For example, we are reliant on the active support and collaboration with Melbourne Water and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority in protecting and enhancing our creeks.

Facts and figures

  • Just under 80% of land is covered by either a Significant Landscape Overlay or Vegetation Protection overlay
  • In a survey of 34 municipalities within the Greater Melbourne Region, Maroondah was found to have the fourth highest canopy with just over 30%.
  • As a community we import 7,000 million litres of water each year. Yet 30,000 million litres of stormwater and wastewater drains into waterways or goes to sewage treatment plants respectively. 

Nature play

Nature play is an opportunity for children to enjoy unstructured play activities outside. Giving them the time, space and freedom to explore, discover and find wonder in the natural world as they engage with natural elements such as earth, water and air. 

Find out more about nature play in Maroondah.