Nearly $10 million will be invested through the Greening Our City grants program to support tree planting and understorey vegetation across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast regions.
The funding has been awarded to 28 projects and will deliver approximately 24,000 new trees and 47,000 square metres of biodiverse understorey planting, transforming streets, parks and public spaces into cooler and greener environments.
The program supports councils to grow tree canopy cover, reduce the impacts of urban heat and improve biodiversity, particularly in areas with low existing canopy. Around three-quarters of new plantings will occur in locations with current canopy cover of just 10 to 20 per cent.
Research shows shaded surfaces can be between 11 and 25 degrees Celsius cooler than unshaded areas, highlighting the role urban greening plays in improving thermal comfort and public health outcomes.
Across Greater Sydney, 28 projects will deliver close to 12,000 trees and 35,000 square metres of understorey planting. In the Cumberland Local Government Area, funding will support the creation of green corridors and cooling initiatives in low- and mid-rise housing areas, while Wollondilly’s Tahmoor Park will undergo significant greening using carefully selected local species.
The fifth round of the program was expanded to include the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast regions. Seven projects in these areas will share more than $2.4 million to plant over 12,000 trees and 13,000 square metres of understorey vegetation.
Projects include increasing canopy cover across five suburbs and townships in the Cessnock Local Government Area, planting trees in urban heat-vulnerable corridors in Lake Macquarie, greening car parks and town centres in Shoalhaven, and delivering street trees, understorey planting and small urban forests across Wollongong using a data-informed approach.
Since its inception, the Greening Our City program has awarded $35.1 million to 131 projects across Greater Sydney, supporting climate resilience, improving air quality and strengthening community connections with nature.
