L4. Encourage and support local & large commercial nurseries to supply native plants
Cultivating biodiversity by enhancing native plant selection for sustainable landscapes
Nurseries tend to focus on supplying popular, attractive plant species; these are often unrelated to plants found in local ecosystems, and don’t offer much benefit for local pollinators and fauna. Sourcing plants that optimally support local ecosystem function is not easy. This reflects a combination of factors - knowledge gaps about plant survival, limited supply chains, and, real or perceived, low consumer demand. When councils are consistent and specific about a palette of native plants, nurseries can more conveniently and reliably accrue stock. This is further reinforced through the practice of plant procurement far in advance from construction phases, providing nurseries with the time to source and prepare healthy plants that meet landscape design.
Case Study Westgate Biodiversity: Bill Nursery and Landcare, Port Melbourne
Located in Port Melbourne within the Sandbelt region of Melbourne, Bili Nursery and Landcare are a not-for-profit organisation that works with the local community and volunteers, traditional owners, citizen scientists and stakeholders to grow and supply Indigenous plant species, share knowledge and transform Westgate Park into a natural bush-like environment for the community and biodiversity.
Find out more information here.