The funding will deliver more trees along streets, in parks, boost understorey vegetation, and enable the creation of tiny forests to create cooler, greener environments making our neighbourhoods are more liveable and climate resilient.
This is part of a broader a $10 million investment from the Minns Labor Government across 24 councils to plant around 24,000 trees to green our streets and reduce the impacts of urban heating across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, Hunter, and Central Coast.
Shoalhaven City Council and Shellharbour City council also received funding to increase the tree canopy in Nowra, Ulladulla and Vincentia’s town centres and enhance Keith Fletcher Park.
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.
A full list of successful applicants is available here.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said:
“The Minns Labor Government expanded the Greening our City program to include Wollongong last year and today we’re seeing Wollongong benefit from that change.
“Wollongong City Council will receive its first grant of $480,000 to deliver more trees and vegetation along our streets, in our parks and across our neighbourhoods.
“This is an investment in a cooler and greener Wollongong which will create more places for people to relax and enjoy making our streets and suburbs more liveable and climate resilient.
“This is another example of the Minns Labor Governments investing in Wollongong’s public spaces building on our work to reimagine in Warrawong Parklands.”
Deputy Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Linda Campbell said:
“We’re very appreciative of this NSW Government funding to provide further support for our Urban Greening objectives.
“We’re very excited to be part of the Greening our City program’s expansion, and this funding will help us deliver more than 1500 new trees in projects designed to increase much needed shade in our busy parks for the benefit of our community - including new nature play gardens for children.
“We’ve made a lot of great strides through our urban greening strategies and initiatives in recent years, but we have more to do bring our urban canopy cover in line with other major cities. This funding will certainly allow us to enhance our efforts in this vitally important area.”
