The NSW Government has pledged an additional $10 million towards planting more trees across Greater Sydney, in a bid to reduce the effects of urban heat.

The funding will see an additional 400,000 trees planted over the next three years via the Sydney Canopies Project, following the approved $60 million allocation from the state’s Climate Change Fund.

Planning Minister Anthony Roberts says the Sydney Canopies Project will assist the Greening our Cities Program in planting five million trees within the Greater Sydney region by 2030.

“We’re on the way to achieving that goal, with one million trees already planted,” he says.

“The Sydney Canopies Project will continue this fantastic momentum, with more than 350 new trees on average planted every day.

“These trees will help provide more shade, cooler suburbs, and enhanced liveability for our communities, with the ultimate aim of increasing Sydney’s tree canopy cover to 40 per cent by 2036.”

Greening Australia and Landcare NSW have been awarded funding that will see both entities plant approximately 200,000 trees in areas with low canopy cover. This includes parks, schools, and community spaces.

Landcare NSW CEO Turlough Guerin says the company looks forward to working alongside government in order to create a greener, cooler city.

“The expertise of our volunteers will be important in ensuring that appropriate sites are chosen, correct tree choices are made, and trees are planted with the best chance of survival,” he says.

Greening Australia Acting COO Paul Della Libera says the partnership will connect people and nature, boosting wellbeing and mitigating the effects of urban heat in Greater Sydney.

“It’s fantastic to be able to expand bold initiatives to tackle urban heat in schools and communities, and we look forward to working with local partners to plant tens of thousands more trees towards rewilding Sydney.”

To read more about the Greening our Cities Program, click here.

Jarrod Reedie

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