Welcome to the Committee for Melbourne

Green Bank

 

Team Members

 

Ms. Jessica Lightfoot
- Director of Major Projects for Monash University
- Has a Masters degree in law
- Practised as a lawyer in private and public sectors before moving into project management, and
- Has worked at Monash for nearly six years on projects such as the establishment of a new medical school on the Malaysia campus, the redevelopment of the Caulfield campus, and the establishment of a new medical research institute.

 

Ms. Eleanor Bridger
- Manager, Marketing and Communications for the Royal Botanic Gardens
- Has been in the role for five years and loves it, and
- Has a Masters degree in history and previous work experience at the State Library of Victoria and in other public sector agencies.

 

Question:  The Committee’s only stipulation about Future Focus Group projects is that they must deliver a tangible, positive benefit to Melbourne.  Tell us about the Green Bank project and the benefits you think it will deliver to Melbourne?


Green Bank:  Green Bank will provide an alternative funding source for community environment groups to support increased native vegetation planting.  Native vegetation is critical for supporting native wildlife.  Community environment groups do a lot of good (volunteer) work in maintaining and enhancing our native habitats.  But they rely on increasingly competitive and dwindling public funding and fundraising. Green Bank will provide a mechanism for private developers to make ‘deposits’ of native vegetation credit points (translated to real dollars) that can then be ‘withdrawn’ by approved community environment groups for the purposes of native vegetation planting.  The number of native vegetation credit points ‘deposited’ by developers will be determined as part of the planning process which requires developers to deliver a net gain in native vegetation if their development involves the removal of native vegetation.  If the development proposal does not lend itself to increased native vegetation planting on site, the developer will credit the value of what they would have been required to spend to achieve the net gain to Green Bank.  Green Bank offers a solution to developers’ requirements to provide net gains in native vegetation; a solution which provides support to Melbourne’s rich source of volunteer environmentalists. 

 

Question:  FFG participants often say that the best things about the Future Focus Group are meeting people from other sectors and participating in projects outside normal personal and professional spheres of reference.  What inspired you to work together and develop this project idea?


Green Bank:  The idea for Green Bank was inspired by the good work which community environment groups do in protecting and enhancing our local neighbourhoods.  As home owners and new mothers, the Green Bank team has a strong desire to make a positive contribution to our local environments to ensure its survival for our children.

 

Question:  The first step in the Future Focus Group project process is ‘wallowing in primary data’ and conducting a thorough situation analysis. Have you found anything like Green Bank locally or overseas and if so, how will Green Bank be different to what already exists?


Green Bank:  While the idea of ‘banking’ credits for obligations is not new (e.g. the carbon emissions trading scheme), its application to native vegetation planting and to community environment groups does not appear to be a model elsewhere.  It is an ideal scheme for Melbourne, given the State Government’s regulatory requirements that property developers achieve a net gain in the planting of native vegetation, whenever they remove native vegetation as part of their development.  Another key point of difference is that Green Bank provides private sector funding for community environment groups.

 

Question: It’s a fact that not every Future Focus Group project gets off the ground, at least within the two years of the program. If you could ask for one thing to guarantee this project’s success, what would it be?


Green Bank:  A willing listener within the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) (the Victorian Government department responsible for implementation of the native vegetation management scheme).  Success of Green Bank will be defined by acceptance of the scheme by the DSE and assumption by them of responsibility for its oversight.  The key challenge for the project team will therefore be to ensure Green Bank is a viable scheme for achieving the State Government native vegetation net gain requirements. 

 

Question:  In three words, describe the Future Focus Group program.


Green Bank:  Challenging.  Inspiring.  Stimulating.

 

For inquiries about the Green Bank project and the Future Focus Group, please contact the Future Focus Group Manager, Ms. Danielle Johnston on (03) 9667 8141 or djohnston@melbourne.org.au.