Urban greening has become a popular policy intervention to tackle contemporary urban issues related to climate change, social disadvantage, poor public health, air pollution and dereliction. With growing interest in urban greening as a governance tool, it is essential to understand how urban greening policies address local issues and enable local populations to enhance their resilience. The present study delivers residents’ perceptions about the transformation of Upper Stony Creek in Sunshine North, from an informal green space to a remediated wetland. Specifically, we focused on health and connection to nature effects of the greening project on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
To achieve this aim, residents’ perspectives on the transformation project were gathered through interviewing. The paper shows that the remedy for environmental injustice is not only greening space but improving the quality of green space. Indeed, a holistic approach towards urban greening policy is needed to combat environmental inequity and its negative consequences to public health and individuals’ wellbeing. Any lack of attention paid to the provision of green space quality counteracts efforts made to minimise environmental injustices via green-space development. The findings also reveal a pervasive issue in an effective engagement of CALD community members in urban research projects. We suggest that the participation of individual with CALD background is not possible without the collaboration with community-based organisations.