Urban biodiversity is under threat throughout Melbourne and although the City of Port Phillip has many leafy green boulevards and some large urban parks, loss of backyard vegetation was reducing the ability for animals to move safely through the City to access food and shelter.

In 2019, volunteer ornithologists mapped potential biolinks to link fragmented bird populations through the City. In response, Council has looked at how vegetation on private property can be protected and enhanced as well as how public land can be further vegetated.

In 2019, Council began work on the Danks St Biolink with community involvement in the design and plant selection to support local bird species.

The Danks St median extends through Albert Park and Port Melbourne. In an ongoing project, lawn areas of Danks Street are replaced with native plants and organic mulch. Bird baths and nesting boxes support bird populations and hollow logs provide ground storey habitat. So far, the transformation of Danks St includes 172 native trees from 39 different species, 5,590 new native plants, 15 bird baths, 32 nesting boxes and numerous hollow logs. When complete the project will comprise 20,000 grasses and flowering shrubs.

Volunteer ornithologists conduct monthly bird surveys and the Biolink now acts as an outdoor classroom for nearby Albert Park College students who monitor the animal populations and vegetation and fill bird baths over summer.
Council is also working with the University of Melbourne researchers top create a woody meadow in Balaclava. This diverse planting of woody shrubs and small trees will be maintained by hard pruning every 2-3 years to promote flowering. This process replicates the natural plant response to fire so that plants re-sprout and reseed to create more density. Requiring less maintenance and water, this woody meadow is a great way to cost- effectively manage complex open spaces.

Council will continue working with the community to identify biolinks, improve vegetation and provide diverse landscapes for animals across the City.