Some of Melbourne's tram shelters will soon house rooftop gardens evoking the grasslands that once thrived in the area as part of a plan to re-introduce greenery to the bustling city centre.
The Yarra Trams project, partly funded by the City of Melbourne, will involve planting drought-tolerant grasses and flowers native to Victoria's volcanic plains on the roofs of tram stops.
Meanwhile, another inner-city council is facing backlash over its decision to reduce its number of meetings, with Yarra Council residents raising concerns about transparency.
The pilot tram stop roof garden project will include large central hubs, including the tram stop on the corner of Collins and William streets and another where Bourke Street meets William Street.
The tram stop rooftop gardens will be installed by the middle of next year and will cover a total area of 250 square metres.
The project is one of five granted funding by the council, with a combined 1,000 square metres of green space to be established across the CBD.
The other projects include creating a community garden at a historic North Melbourne fire station site and the installation of a large green wall on a Little Collins Street building.
Residents criticise council's pared-back meeting schedule
The City of Yarra has faced backlash from residents after deciding to wind back its number of public meetings.
Yarra councillors have voted on the motion by a margin of five-to-two, opting to reduce council meetings to once a month.
In a social media post, the Yarra Residents Collective said the move didn't meet public transparency standards.
Councillor Stephen Jolly said with tough budget measures on the table, he believed the City of Yarra was trying to protect itself from community backlash.
"It's actually had the opposite effect, it's actually riled up community," he said.
"This community is extremely engaged, and it has the public housing estate, non-public housing … tenants and community organisations everywhere, and they're really really firing up."
Earlier this year the City of Yarra restricted public participation in its meetings, erecting a wall of desks to separate councillors from ratepayers.
In a statement released at the time, the council said the desk formation was temporary and "implemented at very short notice, in response to highly unique circumstances".
The council did not comment further on the nature of the situation, but said it the table arrangement was not meant to be seen as a symbolic barrier between the council and its community.
