{"id":544467,"date":"2026-03-16T17:33:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/544467\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T17:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:33:23","slug":"fake-grass-banned-at-new-housing-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/544467\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake grass banned at new housing development"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Adam<\/p>\n

March 16, 2026 \u2014 3:30pm<\/p>\n

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In what is believed to be a first for a large-scale housing development in Melbourne\u2019s growth corridors, fake grass is set to be banned throughout a 500-home estate being built on a recently retired 18-hole golf course in the city\u2019s south-east.<\/p>\n

The ban on property owners installing artificial turf, which the council says will reduce urban heat in a region that has significantly less tree canopy cover than Melbourne\u2019s average, is written in the fine print of the City of Casey\u2019s approval of the contentious Cranbourne golf course redevelopment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"CaseyCasey Mayor Stefan Koomen at the former Cranbourne golf course, which will be redeveloped into a 499-lot housing estate in which fake grass will be prohibited.Simon Schluter<\/p>\n

Casey\u2019s design guidelines for the future Woodhaven estate in Cranbourne North also include the \u201cencouragement\u201d of lighter-coloured and non-reflective roof materials, in another condition aimed at tackling urban heat.<\/p>\n

The decision last month to approve Brown Property Group\u2019s $43.6 million, 499-lot subdivision of the northern half of the golf course was the first time Casey councillors had voted on a development proposal since a previous council was sacked<\/a> by the state government in 2020, during an IBAC investigation into alleged corruption in development decisions.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Casey<\/a><\/p>\n

The housing project \u2013 which faced 52 objections before the council\u2019s yes vote \u2013 received another planning objection this week, and now faces being challenged in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.<\/p>\n

The Cranbourne golf course operated for 72 years before its closure in February and is one of the largest green recreational spaces in the City of Casey \u2013 Melbourne\u2019s largest municipality \u2013 which is home to more than 400,000 people. The project will involve clearing 3.5 hectares of native vegetation, including trees.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the council said that in considering the development, it pushed for environmental and community outcomes beyond the minimum requirements of its planning scheme, including a ban on fake turf.<\/p>\n

According to research published by NSW\u2019s chief scientist and engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte in 2022, synthetic turf<\/a> can reach temperatures hotter than concrete, and can shed fibres into waterways.<\/p>\n

City of Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen said the council sought to support healthier, more resilient communities as Casey grew.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen opportunities arise through the planning process, we will continue to push for stronger design outcomes, including more open space, meeting Greening Casey targets, and design guidelines that help reduce urban heat and create cooler, greener neighbourhoods,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The development also has a target of 30 per cent tree canopy cover in the estate\u2019s streets and public spaces, and 20 per cent overall. Casey\u2019s tree canopy cover is 11.3 per cent, compared with a citywide average of 19.26 per cent. But that figure is bolstered by Casey\u2019s green wedge areas.; parts of new and densely populated suburbs such as Cranbourne West, Cranbourne North, Clyde and Clyde North have just 1 to 5 per cent tree canopy cover, according to a recent council report.<\/p>\n

Brown Property Group\u2019s longer-term proposal for the golf course envisions an estate that will eventually include more than 1100 homes.<\/p>\n

The company said it had never previously mandated against artificial turf in one of its developments.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the Cranbourne Golf Course redevelopment, and in line with our broader sustainability objectives, artificial turf will not be permitted. This approach reflects Woodhaven\u2019s nature-focused vision and long-term commitment to creating a cooler, greener and more liveable community,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\"EmmaEmma Bacon, the executive director of Sweltering Cities, says councils will carry the responsibility of managing rising urban heat.Sweltering Cities<\/p>\n

Emma Bacon, executive director of climate advocacy group Sweltering Cities, said a ban on synthetic turf has the potential to lower local temperatures by multiple degrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a lot of people don\u2019t know is that artificial turf can get hotter than concrete, so it\u2019s a real contributor to the urban heat island effect,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Clockwise<\/a><\/p>\n

The surface of a synthetic lawn bowls pitch in Mount Gambier, South Australia, reportedly reached 86.7 degrees<\/a> on a 40-degree day in January, according to thermal imaging recorded by the State Emergency Service.<\/p>\n

Bacon said some households might be frustrated by the ban, but it was the council\u2019s responsibility to consider the climate impact of 500 homes, not just one home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the council\u2019s responsibility to plan for the future on a larger scale,\u201d Bacon said. \u201cThe City of Casey are aware, and many local councils are aware, that they\u2019re going to be left holding the responsibility for managing local heat impacts, both on the environment and on the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerns about the environmental and health impacts of synthetic turf led the NSW chief scientist to complete an independent review into its impacts in public open spaces.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Durrant-Whyte\u2019s report found that the contribution of synthetic turf to the urban heat island \u201cis likely to be small\u201d but could contribute through the overall depletion of cooler grass surfaces.<\/p>\n

Victoria\u2019s Department of Education also \u201cstrongly encourages\u201d schools to use natural grass over synthetic turf, warning that in high heat it places children at risk of heat stress, blisters and burns.<\/p>\n

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\"AdamAdam Carey<\/a> is senior city reporter (suburban). He has held previous roles including education editor, state political correspondent and transport reporter. He joined The Age in 2007.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March 16, 2026 \u2014 3:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":544468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-544467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}