Knox City Council has purchased land in Upper Ferntree Gully from VicTrack to protect and conserve the properties.
The land, located at 1155 and 1183 Burwood Highway, was financed through fees paid by developers to offset the loss of native vegetation. This funding can only be used to buy land to compensate for the impact of development.
Knox Mayor Susan Laukens said the acquisition helped to retain biodiversity and protect tree canopy.
“Our Knox community has strongly indicated that it values the green leafy nature of Knox,” she said.
“During consultation to develop a community vision for Knox, 97% of surveyed residents identified the natural environment as either very important or important.”
There are two canopy trees located on the land which are more than 80-years-old. The land forms part of a habitat corridor and protecting the site allows native animals to travel along the pathway.
“Council successfully negotiated to buy the land at a significantly lower price than if it was sold on the open market, which reflects that it will be reserved for public use,” Mayor Laukens said.
“Acquiring this land in an already heavily developed area ensures these parcels will not be developed, preserving native corridors between Quarry Reserve and these bushland reserves.”
Within Knox, there is approximately only 4% native vegetation coverage across the municipality.
