How are we evolving greenfield subdivisions for a changing climate?
Join us at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens to connect with peers and explore the next generation of urban planning, design, and maintenance.
Hear directly from City of Greater Bendigo experts, including Director Brian Westley, on the latest Landscape Design Guidelines and Greening Greater Bendigo initiatives.
Learn about the latest in Blue-Green infrastructure with Chris Szota (Melbourne University) and best practices in WSUD and waterway management.
Meet the Open Space Planners Network and enjoy a catered lunch at Omari.
Start or end your day with an optional guided tour of Larni Garingilang or the Garden for the Future.
The Overview
Where: Bendigo Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre (Larni Garingilang), Dja Dja Wurrung country.
When: 9 AM – 3 PM With optional garden tours.
Included: Fully catered lunch, hot drinks and nibbles.
Speakers
Jane Marriott
As the City of Greater Bendigo’s first Landscape Development Officer, Jane Marriott has played a pivotal role in raising the quality of landscapes in new subdivisions.
She led the creation of the City’s Landscape Design Guidelines and related developer resources – work reshaping how new neighbourhoods are planned, designed, and delivered.
Drawing on her landscape architecture background and further planning studies, Jane champions collaborative, future‑focused approaches within local government, helping ensure Bendigo’s growing communities inherit well‑designed, enduring landscapes.
Mark Fahy
Mark is the City of Greater Bendigo’s Coordinator of Arboriculture and Urban Forest, bringing nearly twenty years of arboricultural and urban forest planning experience shaped across diverse climates, from the dry heat of Adelaide to the cool temperate conditions of Hobart and the distinctive Victorian Goldfields region.
Passionate about the transformative power of urban trees, he has led impactful city greening projects, guided robust planning and policy development, and championed evidence‑based solutions supporting healthy, resilient coexistence between people and trees.
Chris Szota
Dr Chris Szota is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Forestry at The University of Melbourne where he works on designing blue-green infrastructure to support vegetation and mitigate the impact of stormwater runoff on urban waterways.
He has worked on a range of green stormwater infrastructure technologies, including green roofs, biofiltration systems, constructed wetlands and street tree passive irrigation systems.
He has worked in partnership with Melbourne Water, DEECA and local government authorities including the City of Monash, Merri-bek, Melton and Port Phillip to install and monitor pilot-scale passive irrigation systems (https://bluegreenstreets.org/) in a range of street typologies.
Mark Toohey
Mark Toohey is an innovator in environmental management and is the Team Leader of the Natural Reserves team at the City of Greater Bendigo. With an Advanced Diploma of Forestry Management, Mark has built a distinguished career dedicated to the preservation and protection of native flora and fauna.
Bringing many years of on‑ground and practical experience, Mark has developed a particular expertise in waterway and wetland management, along with a strong interest in habitat rehabilitation for native fish species.
Under his leadership, the Natural Reserves team oversees more than 1,000 hectares of bushland, including a significant number of water quality reserves integrated within new subdivision developments.
Adam Barber
Adam Barber is the Senior Waterways and Water Strategy Officer at the City of Greater Bendigo, with more than 20 years’ experience in natural resource and waterway management.
He leads the implementation of the significant Reimagining Bendigo Creek project to revitalise an urban creek and has overseen a comprehensive audit of the City’s stormwater assets, including wetlands and bio‑retention systems mostly as part of urban developments.
Adam holds a Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and has worked across private contracting, consulting, and state and local government roles.
Agenda
Whilst we are still developing the final program, an indicative overview of the day can be found below:
- 9.00 Optional tour of Larni Garingilang
- 9.30 Arrival and networking
- 10.00 Welcome by Brian Westley CoGB, Director of Presentation and Assets, and Andrea Szymanski, President of PLA VIC / TAS Region Council
- 10.20 CoGB Jane Marriott and Mark Fahy – Landscape Design Guidelines and Greening Greater Bendigo
- 11.15 Chris Szota, Melbourne University – Blue-Green infrastructure
- 12.05 Catered lunch at Omari
- 13.00 CoGB Mark Toohey and Adam Barber – WSUD / Water quality / Waterway Management
- 14.00 Open Space Planners Network introduction
- 14.15 Final words and wrap up
- 14.30 Optional tour of Garden for the Future
With thanks to
