The Minns Labor Government is delivering close to $10 million to plant around 24,000 trees which will green our streets and reduce the impacts of urban heating across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Hunter, and Central Coast.
The Greening our City grants have been awarded to 28 projects and will provide 47,000 square metres of biodiverse understorey planting, transforming streets, parks, and public spaces into cooler, greener environments.
We're supporting councils to grow tree canopy cover, help reduce urban heat, and boost biodiversity so neighbourhoods are more liveable and climate resilient.
Most trees will be planted in areas with low canopy cover, with three-quarters of plantings going to sites that currently have just 10-20% coverage. These will cool neighbourhoods, improve air quality, and support communities in areas that need it most.
Research has shown that shaded surfaces may be 11-25°C cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded surfaces.
Across Greater Sydney, 28 projects will deliver nearly 12,000 trees and 35,000 square metres of understorey planting. In the Cumberland Local Government Area funds will be used to create green corridors and reduce heat in low- and mid-rise housing areas, while Tahmoor Park in Wollondilly will be significantly greened with a carefully planned design featuring local species.
This fifth round of the Greening our City grant program was expanded to Illawarra-Shoalhaven, the Hunter, and Central Coast.
Seven projects in these regions will receive over $2.4 million to plant more than 12,000 trees and 13,000 square metres of understorey planting including:
- Increasing canopy across the Cessnock Local Government Area in five suburbs and townships, enhancing public green spaces.
- Greening Lake Macquarie's corridors through tree canopy planting in urban heat-vulnerable hotspots, to improve liveability and biodiversity.
- Greening Shoalhaven's carparks by increasing tree canopy in town centres, creating shelter and shade in high-traffic areas to mitigate urban heat blackspots and enhance local biodiversity.
- Greening Wollongong through a data-informed approach, with street and park tree plantings, understorey vegetation, and tiny forests to improve climate resilience.
The program has awarded $35.1 million to 131 greening projects across Greater Sydney, building climate resilience, improving air quality, and connecting communities with nature.
A full list of successful applicants is available here.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
"This is another example of the Minns Labor Government investing to build better communities right across the state.
"The Greening our city program, which we have extended, is delivering 24,000 trees across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Hunter and the Central Coast. That's 6000 more trees than New York's Central Park.
"It will deliver beautiful public spaces where people can relax and play and critically it helps to reduce urban heat, creating cooler, more liveable communities.
"Each of these grants will make our towns and cities cooler, greener, and more enjoyable places to live, work and travel."
