State of the environment

Birds flying above trees at dusk

Our State of the Environment (SOE) report is an annual glimpse into what we deliver to keep our natural environment healthy, green and maintained.

The 2024-2025 SOE is guided by the strategic objectives outlined in our Banyule Plan and Budget.

We in Banyule are a thriving, sustainable, inclusive and connected community. We are engaged, we belong and we value and protect our environment. —Community Vision 2041

Read the current and past SOE reports

Indicators at a glance

Biodiversity 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Indigenous Species planted in bushland reserves  8,398 8,289 8,864 Planting numbers remained steady in the year, with an increase in planting of tree species.
Friends of volunteer hours in bushland reserves  890 1,180 1,036 Community participation was steady over the period at Council-supported volunteer events.
Buy 1 Get 1 free indigenous plant vouchers redeemed  908 1,604 3,598 A significant increase in uptake of this program was experienced in the year.
Indigenous plants redeemed through Gardens for Wildlife 535 528 436 Gardens for Wildlife participants continued to access indigenous plants to support their garden habitat enhancement projects.
Planning permit applications that included tree removal on private land  NA 441  548  An additional 107 permit applications including tree removal were submitted in 2024-25.
Applications where tree removal was approved  NA 289  333  A minor increase was observed in tree removal permits approved.
Applications where the tree removal was exempt from permit  NA 68  85  More tree removals were exempt from a permit, suggesting more applications were for weed or non-indigenous species removal.
Applications withdrawn due to tree removal not being supported by Council  NA 77 (including some refusal notices) 63 + 14 refusal notices  Applications withdrawn due to refusal remained steady in 2024-25, with several enforced withdrawals.
Urban forest 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
30% canopy cover across all suburbs by 2050 with no loss in suburbs exceeding the target  NA NA 28.9% Our first canopy assessment shows cover is just shy of the target across Banyule, though some suburbs are still well under the target and require focus.
45% canopy cover across the footpath and local road network by 2040 with no loss in suburbs exceeding the target  NA NA 24.9% Our first canopy cover assessment for roads and footpaths reveals that we are still well below the target and will require focus in the coming years.
50% Canopy cover across the open space shared path network and surrounding playgrounds by 2050  NA NA 38.7% Our initial open space canopy assessment reveals that we are tracking well toward the target, with a further 11% canopy cover required in the coming years.
Number of trees planted in streetscapes 1,627 1,498 1,579 Tree establishment has remained steady over the past 3 years, with a minor increase in 2024-25.
Number of trees planted in open space  236  128  982  The significant increase in open space planting is due to additional tree funding through the Northeast Link Project (NELP).
Net gain of trees in open space and streetscapes 1,024  877  1,588  The sharp rise in net gain reflects increased planting through NELP and steady tree planting and removals.
Number of trees removed in open space and streetscapes 839  749  973  Tree removals have remained steady over the past 3 years, with a minor increase in 2024-25.
Number of trees in streetscapes across Banyule  NA NA 72,126 New streetscape tree mapping shows a healthy population across the city with a low vacancy rate of 8.4%.
Number of tree vacancies in streetscapes across Banyule NA 10,000  6,092  An additional 4,000 vacancies were filled in 2024-25 bringing total vacancies down to 8.4%.
Water 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Banyule Council Water use (ML)  242 273 325 The 300 ML per year target was not achieved this year due to low average autumn rainfall, increased irrigation needs and reduced stormwater harvesting capability.
Litter collection (Tonne)  35 38 31 Slight reduction from last year was observed due to resource constraints and fleet availability.
Silt collection (Tonne)  460 300 505 Council continued to exceed the annual target of 130 tonnes, removing large volumes of silt from Southern Rd Wetland and Chelsworth Park stormwater harvesting system.
Climate change 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Total Scope 3 annual corporate GHG emissions (tCO2-e) * 1,989 2,020 2,322 Scope 3 emissions increased in 2024-25, reflecting improved data coverage and expanded reporting categories.
Total Scope 1 annual corporate GHG emissions (tCO2-e) * 4,324 4,061 3,839 Scope 1 emissions continued to decline, driven primarily by reduced gas use and light fleet transition.
Total renewable energy capacity (MW)  1.7 1.8 1.8 Renewable energy capacity remained stable as focus shifts to management of existing solar systems.
Total gas consumption (GJ) 49,318 45,398 41,060 Gas consumption continued to decrease due to ongoing electrification programs and energy efficiency improvements.
Total electricity consumption (MWh) 9,915 10,030 10,405 Electricity consumption increased slightly, partly due to electrification of assets and facilities.
Total vehicle fuel consumption (L) 795,240 777,720 789,586 Fuel consumption remained relatively stable, with minor year-to-year variation.
Fleet vehicle conversion to electric (no. of vehicles) NA NA 32 As of 24/25, we have 32 electric vehicles in its fleet.
Equipment conversion to electric (number of equipment) NA NA 35 As of 24/25, Council has replaced 35 pieces of equipment and tools that were previously fossil fuel powered with electric alternatives
Banyule total municipal emissions (tCO2-e) * 831,000 806,200 N/A Municipal emissions have declined since 2022 though remained stable over the past 12 months. Data is from 2023-24 due to a 1.5-year data lag.
Emissions saved p/a as a result of household upgrades through the Better Score program (tCO2-e) * NA 133.5 100.7 A total saving of 100 tCO2-e p/a is a strong result, though down from the previous year despite participation being higher. This is due to the type of upgrades residents selected being less impactful on emissions overall.
Number of electric vehicles registered in Banyule 715 1,307 1,943 EV registrations continued to increase strongly, indicating growing community uptake.
Community solar capacity (MW) NA NA 55.92 The municipality's solar capacity stands at 55.92 MW spread across nearly 25% of all households.
Living sustainably 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Number of Banyule Loves workshop participants NA NA 162 The program commenced in late 2024-25 so data represents only 6 months of engagement.
Environment grant applications awarded 17 14 15 15 worthy environmental projects were awarded grant funding this year.
Waste 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Landfill waste per household (kg)  329 340 331 Landfill waste remained steady this year, with a minor reduction.
Recyclables per household (kg)   200 219 210 Recyclables per household has remained steady.
Organic waste per household (kg)  315 350 331 Organic waste per household has remained steady.
Diverted from landfill, total (%)  63 63 62 Percentage diverted to landfill remains steady.
Urban food 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 Comments
Total items of food relief supported 26,869 28,822 28,162 Council continued to support a significant amount of food relief in the community in 2024-25.

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