A former Docklands car park rooftop has been transformed into a productive urban farm, showcasing the growing role of community-led greening projects across Melbourne.
On the roof of a nine-storey Docklands car park, volunteers harvest vegetables and herbs on a 2,000 square metre rooftop farm overlooking the traffic and bustle below.
The site includes an orchard, beehives and planter boxes, with birds helping to pollinate crops as the space evolves into a green refuge in the middle of the city.
OzHarvest volunteer coordinator, Alana Roberts, said the rooftop farm had become one of the organisation’s most popular volunteering experiences.
“It’s often described as a mindful experience, even though it’s right in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD,” Roberts said.
“Volunteering alongside Skyfarm’s Urban Farmer Dario is one of our most popular shifts.
“Our volunteers are always asking when the next one will be.”
Known as Melbourne Skyfarm, the rooftop began as an underused top level of a high-rise car park before being selected for support through the City of Melbourne’s Urban Forest Fund, with additional backing from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The site is expected to open to the public later this year.
The Urban Forest Fund provides matched funding to support greening projects on private land, ranging from small balcony planters to large-scale tree planting, vertical gardens and water-sensitive urban design.
Melbourne Skyfarm is one of 21 projects supported by the fund since its establishment in 2017.
More than $3.2 million has been contributed through the program, helping create over 42,400 square metres of new green cover across the municipality.
Applications for the latest funding round are now open, with up to $1 million in matched funding available this year.
The program forms part of broader efforts to increase urban canopy cover across Melbourne, with a target to lift coverage from 22 per cent to 40 per cent by 2040.
With almost 75 per cent of land in the municipality privately owned or managed, community-led projects are expected to play a central role in shaping the future of Melbourne’s urban forest.
