Rose garden renewal works

Published on 19 August 2026

You may notice soon some minor changes to garden beds in Portland’s CBD.

In the coming weeks our Parks and Gardens team will be working on the garden beds at the corner of Bentinck and Julia Streets, removing the existing roses and replacing them with drought-tolerant flowering native species.

Why are we making the change?

As part of ongoing improvements, the garden beds are being refreshed with plant species better suited to local conditions:

• The existing roses provide a relatively short period of annual colour and are increasingly affected by Dichondra, an invasive groundcover that is difficult to control.

• The new flowering native species will provide longer-lasting colour throughout the year and create a more drought-tolerant, resilient garden display.

• The garden beds will remain fallow (bare) for a period after the roses are removed. This step is essential to eliminate the weed before new plants are established and help prevent the problem from recurring.

• The refreshed garden will continue to enhance the prominent location while being better suited to Portland's climate.

There will be minimal impact to pedestrian access during the works