Are you a Hobart resident looking to beautify your nature strip? The City of Hobart has some exciting news for you! The City is giving away free plants to Hobart residents to use on their nature strips. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to add greenery to your street and community, which came in perfect timing with the recently kicked-off nature strip program. Just in case you missed it, the City of Hobart has implemented a new nature strip policy which began by the end of March 2023. 

Under this new program, the City of Hobart is no longer responsible for closely maintaining nature strips next to residential and commercial spaces. Instead, residents are now expected to manage the nature strip adjacent to their properties, which includes mowing, weeding, and removing litter.  

Nature strips play an essential role in the social, environmental, and aesthetic well-being of Hobart. They add to and improve the streetscape by establishing a “green” buffer between the roadways, sidewalks, houses, and buildings. No wonder, the plant giveaway will be a valuable strategy to make the City’s target be realised in no time.

First-in, best-dressed, over 1,000 plants will be distributed in the plant giveaway, including native species from Tasmania and Australia as well as ornamentals like lavender and rosemary that adhere to the nature strips’ rules. Each successful candidate may choose up to 20 different plants.

Transforming nature strips in novel and imaginative ways, the plant giveaway, according to Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, aims to teach locals how to properly fill their nature strips and, in doing so, improve the aesthetics of their neighbourhood and street.

Sustainability in Infrastructure Portfolio Chair Bill Harvey stated that this demonstrates the council’s dedication to transforming nature strips into places that people can be proud of. “These plants are low maintenance, meaning they are an easy way for residents to beautify their communities without investing lots of time and resources,” Cr Harvey highlighted.

So, whether you’re a plant parent with a green thumb or not, maintaining these plants is not much of a challenge (it just takes a leaf of faith–oops!). But for the best results, it’s important to cultivate the correct flora before you start daydreaming about your nature strip garden.

Ruby Wilson, the City of Hobart’s City Greening Lead, emphasises that anyone who wants to plant something on their nature strip must follow the rules and guidelines to maintain driveway safety and clear views for drivers turning in and out of driveways. You may refer here for the complete list of guidelines as far as the nature strip is concerned. 

Nevertheless, you still have plenty of room to use your imagination to create a stunning, low-maintenance garden with native Tasmanian species or any plants you want. (Again, so long as you’re adhering to the rules) 

If you’re wondering how to participate, on the City of Hobart website, people of Hobart can submit applications for the plants. Although we cannot guarantee the slots, the application procedure is simple and easy to follow. Simply complete the application and choose up to 20 plants of your liking. The plants can be sown over the winter and will be ready to grow come spring when you receive notification in May that they are ready for collection.

Under the new program, if a resident is unable to manage his/her nature strip due to mobility limitations or other problems like bad health or ageing and requires assistance in preserving his/her nature strip, he/she may fill out this form.

More than the aesthetics, this could be a way for Hobart residents to participate in community activities where they could show off their creativity and passion. Plus, we’re not only helping our community with such efforts but also the environment in general. Aside from the visual appeal, plants can also provide shade, help lower air pollution, and maintain local ecosystems.

With such a reputation, it can also influence and persuade people looking for permanent homes and investment properties to consider Tassie. Who wouldn’t want to live in such an environmentally friendly and progressive yet peaceful community? If this makes perfect sense to you, we’ve got heaps of local agents that can help you start your property journey in the Apple Isle. 

For more information and to get the freshest updates regarding this, you may visit www.hobartcity.com.au.