The initial AUSTEP Assisted Parks partnership, this with the City of Greater Geelong was officially opened at a ceremony on Wednesday October 8 at Sparrow Park in Geelong West.

Councillor Barbara Abley commemorated the AUSTEP plaque placed at the entry to the main pathway through the park. This plaque placed in recognition of the support offered to council for the supply of tree stock to assist the rejuvenation of the park.

Gary Peters responded on behalf of AUSTEP, the site to be monitored by the city parks personnel with AUSTEP planning a full evaluation of the tree stock planted in 2007 for spring 2009.

At the recent PLA National Conference in Hobart, the Parkland Design Award for 2005 was presented to the City of Frankston on Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay.

An AUSTEP sub committee viewed all entrants in August this year prior to awarding the National Prize to Keast Park.

The award winning design for this leading edge project on the Seaford foreshore, is now becoming a reality, with initial stage one work underway. The web site will highlight the project in the near future.

Image (Left to right): Stephen Bourke (National President PLA), Jacquii Anderton (Frankston City Council), Mr Rob Small , Gary Peters (AUSTEP Coordinator).

The web site is now being progressively updated with evaluations undertaken during this year as follows ;

• City of Boroondara - Evaluation updates and new sites
• Hume City Council - New sites
• Manningham City Council - New sites
• City of Greater Geelong - New sites
• Maribyrnong City Council - Evaluation updates
• City of Ballarat - Evaluation updates

Click onto List by Site to access these evaluations as they come online.

A new regular column called Cultivar Chat has been developed to provide to the industry as a whole information on AUSTEP in regard to it's relevance and value, current happenings and to highlight in each column, a particular species or cultivar evaluated by the committee.

Look for Cultivar Chat in the spring edition of Australasian Parks & Leisure, upcoming publications of Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Urban Development Institute of Australia's publication Urban Affairs.

During August and October, AUSTEP was presented to many personnel from councils around the country. In conjunction with PLA, Rob Small CEO of Fleming's Nurseries, Michael Smith Parks Business Manager, City of Greater Dandenong and Gary Peters AUSTEP Coordinator, presented a seminar series in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart.

These seminars titled Urban Landscape - The New Imperative culminated at the National Conference in Hobart. The primary purpose of the series was to highlight to council practitioners through presentation and workshop formats, the value of the planning and implementation of an Asset Management Strategy for trees in the landscape.

Further information will be forthcoming in various publications in the near future.

AUSTEP as a consequence of the seminars, is to now undertake in 2006 evaluations with Sydney municipalities as well as in the ACT.

Progressively AUSTEP evaluations will include sites contained in some of the numerous subdivisions currently developing around Melbourne.

One major developer has requested AUSTEP listing for some of their streets, a very positive initiative. In addition, we will be highlighting some key changes to establishment practices in relation to tree planting and maintenance.

The methodology utilised in the establishment of trees and shrubs is a primary function of AUSTEP. Change is happening as astute developers recognise the true cost of tree establishment and the ongoing value to their project.

On December 1, the committee will meet at the City of Greater Dandenong to discuss and view the proposed site for AUSTEP Park.

This concept is a joint AUSTEP and Dandenong project, which will initially develop a design plan for the planting of significant areas of trees and shrubs at a large open space in the city. This initiative will be documented from start to completion, including the use of many innovative and varied planting techniques and ideas.

The site will host many varieties of native and exotic plant material, providing for the long term, an excellent evaluation base.

Sarah Nunn who recently left her position at the City of Glen Eira, has resigned from the AUSTEP committee. We wish Sarah well in her new pursuits and thank her for her contribution to AUSTEP.

The committee at a recent meeting, endorsed Ian Brown of Mount William Advanced Tree Nursery as our new committee member. We welcome Ian to the team, his inclusion will bring considerable experience to the committee and we look forward to his contribution.

During February, an evaluation sub committee undertook two days at sites in the City of Boroondara and Hume.

Boroondara included four updates on original sites undertaken in February 2002, as well as many new sites around the city. Updates in 2005 are an integral part of the AUSTEP agenda, in the case of Boroondara the trees were planted in 1999. Opportunities to evaluate progress through the establishment period and the progression of sites is the primary role of the AUSTEP Program.

The sub committee visited the City of Hume on February 23 and covered ten sites across a number of suburbs. The city is currently developing a progressive hands on planting program to invigorate older sections of the city, as well as undertaking planting in the emerging northern suburbs. Hume contains significant new housing developments which will impact on the cities planning in the future.

Our thanks to Jason Summers and Michael Leers for their assistance prior to and on the evaluation day.

During March an update evaluation was undertaken at the City of Ballarat including all trees evaluated in 2003 along the Avenue of Honour and around the CBD.

On March 30 a sub committee evaluated 15 sites at Manningham City, primarily around Bulleen and Doncaster. Significant planting has occurred over the past three to four years in these areas, providing an ideal base for future evaluation data.

All these evaluations will be online over the coming weeks under the List by Site heading.

April 27 is set for the sub committee to undertake evaluations in the City of Greater Geelong. The diversity of this very large regional centre will provide many interesting site options.

During early April, an update on sites covered by the sub committee in October 2002 will be undertaken. The AUSTEP committee is very keen wherever possible to involve either TAFE students or council apprentices when undertaking evaluation updates. This initiative, while it evens out the committees workload, provides the ideal opportunity for young people in horticulture to be part of the ongoing process of street and open space evaluation. The update is under the supervision of AUSTEP committee member Mick Dalton of the City of Maribyrnong.

It is anticipated that an update evaluation will also be undertaken soon at the Rural City of Wodonga, utilizing Wodonga TAFE students and council personnel.

Gary Peters, AUSTEP Co - ordinator will provide an insight into the background, workings and philosophy of the program during a presentation to the newly formed Basalt Plains Urban Forest Group.

The seminar titled Managing the Urban Forest, includes many speakers involved in the greater arboricultural industry and is being hosted by the Hume City Council at Broadmeadows. It is expected around 100 people will attend the seminar, we hope to provide an overview of the day on www.austep.net.au in the near future.

Currently the evaluation sub committee is undertaking visits around various areas of Melbourne.

On Wednesday October 27, the sub committee with the assistance of Adrian Cope, Parks Coordinator of the Shire of Melton, toured a large section of this rapidly emerging shire.

AUSTEP would like to thank Adrian for his support on the day and with planning prior to the evaluations.

A full report on the evaluations undertaken are now available, check out the following links:
Shire of Melton, City of Monash and the City of Whittlesea.

Committee has one more day confirmed as follows ;

• Monday, December 13 at Glen Eira CC
• In due course, the results of these days will be posted on the site for your information.
• During the first part of 2005, the sub committee will undertake another six evaluation days.
• Many opportunities have been forthcoming for evaluations following the Zone Meetings, which is encouraging and greatly assists our future planning process.
• Details on the 2005 program will be announced shortly.

On July 28, August 11 and August 25 Metropolitan Zone Meetings as previously announced, were conducted to bring councils up to date and / or introduce them to what AUSTEP is about and achieving.

The meetings attracted around eighty personnel from the Melbourne councils, with 95 % of municipalities represented over the three days.

Input was at times lively, very informative and constructive and will assist greatly in our objective to provide the industry with a progressive evaluation resource. The closer relationships formed with council practitioners and the understanding of each others needs, ensure AUSTEP will provide a very relevant program into the future.

The AUSTEP committee will continue to build closer links with all cities and shires and we look forward to your continued input and support.

We are pleased to announce Sarah Nunn, Tree Maintenance Coordinator, Glen Eira City Council has joined the AUSTEP committee ( refer to the Committee page for Sarah's pen sketch ).

Sarah is well known to many in the industry and will bring I'm sure her own constructive views and ideas to the committee, we welcome Sarah to AUSTEP.

During July and August, the AUSTEP committee will be undertaking Zone Meetings at various host city venues to outline to key people from councils, the AUSTEP story. We consider it now timely to bring cities together, this to illustrate what the concept is about, where it is at and where we would like it to go. For ease of convenience, locations have been organised at venues around Melbourne as follows ;

Meeting 1. City of Maribyrnong, at Footscray Town Hall Reception Room, cnr Irving and Napier St, Footscray on Wednesday July 28, 2004 commencing at 10.00 am.

Meeting is planned to primarily host people from the cities of Wyndham, Melton, Moreland, Moonee Valley, Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip, Brimbank and Melbourne.

Meeting 2. Cities of Boroondara / Stonnington, at Boroondara Room, Camberwell Civic Centre, 8 Inglesby Rd, Camberwell on Wednesday August 11, 2004 commencing at 10.00 am.

Meeting is to primarily host people from the cities of Whittlesea, Nillumbik, Banyule, Darebin, Yarra, Glen Eira, Whitehorse, Maroondah and Manningham.

Meeting 3. City of Greater Dandenong, at Council Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, 397 – 405 Springvale Rd, Springvale on Wednesday August 25, 2004 commencing at 10.00 am.

Meeting is to primarily host people from the cities of Bayside, Kingston, Monash, Knox, Frankston, Casey, Cardinia, Mornington and Yarra Ranges.

Meetings however are open to any council to attend, in other words if you are unable to attend the one in your specific area, please indicate in your reply your preference.

We have also invited other key people to attend from your city.

If you consider there are others who should attend ie, landscape architects, planners, parks personnel, please advise me accordingly or include on your reply their intention to attend.

The meetings as indicated will commence at 10.00 am and conclude no later than 1.30 pm, with an excellent lunch provided by the host city.

We intend to allow ample time for an open forum discussion and look forward to gaining from attendees their input and / or ideas.

Please email your intentions on attendance and preferred venue to Gary Peters - gpeters@flemings.com.au

We would appreciate a reply by no later than Wednesday July 14, 2004.

The AUSTEP committee consists of people not unlike you, practitioners in local government or assisting local government in developing and sustaining a better tree environment.

We look forward to seeing you during one of the forthcoming meetings.

Gary Peters
AUSTEP Coordinator

Last year AUSTEP was asked to be included in selecting replacements for the ageing Poplars in the historic tram line area of Peel St, North Melbourne.

The site contained 80 year old Lombardy Poplars running through the length of the tram area along Peel St. The local North & North West Melbourne Association Inc lobbied the city for replacement poplars to maintain the heritage of the street. Populus x canadensis 'Crows Nest' were planted along the site as this image between Victoria St and Queensberry St shows.

The committee is very appreciative of the support of Parks and Leisure Australia, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects ( AILA Vic ) and Fleming’s Nurseries in the continuing development of this web site. These organizations now have logo recognition on this site.

During March 2004, a number of committee members undertook evaluations in two progressive Adelaide cities.

Tuesday March 10, saw the group visit the City of West Torrens an inner city council that has been involved in many tree trials of recent years. The committee appreciated the assistance forthcoming from the city, in particular the preparatory work carried out by Tim Johnson, West Torren’s Technical Officer, Amenity & Environment.

On Wednesday March 11, the committee was hosted by the City of Burnside on the east side of Adelaide. Again appreciation is extended to the cities personnel, namely Parks Services Manager, Rob Freeman and Tree Preservation Officer, John Draper for their time and planning of our day.

The two days covered a significant number of evaluations across many species / cultivars. The AUSTEP committee is always keen to vary the geographical mix, the Adelaide visit produced many sites to further broaden tree knowledge data.

To view the evaluations, please go to List by Site and click on the above cities.

This year the Fleming’s National Parkland Design Awards will be announced at PLA’s International Leisure Matters Conference to be held in Brisbane in September. The AUSTEP committee will this year appoint members to undertake the judging of these prestigious awards. The awards in 2004 carry significant benefit to PLA members, with a national and three regional prizes to be presented.

Recently the Society of Municipal Arborists ( USA ) awarded the Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred' Autumn Blaze® their 2004 Tree of the Year award. This tree is now planted in major estates and council streets across Australia. AUSTEP evaluation is ongoing and will continue to monitor this cultivars development.

As part of the ongoing ‘work in progress’ we are progressively adding information to assist people with evaluation data. The site now contains rainfall and temperature data and will soon carry soil information as well.

The evaluation list now carries sites with updated visits. Included is Hawkestowe Park at South Morang, recently revisited by a sub committee to evaluate trees under summer conditions, hence the Evaluation 2 headings.