Sydney to plant 700 new street trees annually to green the city

The City of Sydney has announced plans to plant 700 new street trees annually and aims to cover two-fifths of the city in greenery by 2050.

Greening Sydney 2030 sets the directions, targets and actions for all aspects of greening, including canopy targets and innovative plans to increase green roofs and walls and streetscape gardening.

Greening strategy

The plan aims to build on the achievements of the City’s first greening strategy, Greening Sydney 2012, which, reportedly, made the City one of the only Councils in the country to increase its canopy cover over the past decade.

“We’re in the middle of a climate crisis and we are already experiencing its impacts. Dangerous heatwaves are arriving earlier, are hotter and last longer. Our city must adapt to the changing climate and increase its resilience to the likely impacts,” said Clover Moore, lord mayor of Sydney.

“Trees and other urban greenery are as essential as roads and broadband internet. Effective and extensive canopy cover can reduce temperatures on the ground by up to 10 degrees.”

“Trees and other urban greenery are as essential as roads and broadband internet. Effective and extensive canopy cover can reduce temperatures on the ground by up to 10 degrees”

She continued: “We have developed this strategy to re-affirm and extend our commitment to providing a greener, cooler, calmer and more resilient City. We have set ambitious targets and will work to ensure 40 per cent of the city’s footprint is covered with greenery by 2050.”

The City has a proposed budget of $377m on greening, including the development and renewal of existing parks and open spaces, across the city over the next 10 years.

New canopy and greenery targets:

• 23 per cent canopy cover by 2030
• 27 per cent canopy cover by 2050
• 40 per cent vegetation and green cover across the city by 2050
• The creation of greener buildings, with all public and privately-owned properties providing 28 per cent of green cover, including 20 per cent tree cover
• At least 700 new street trees planted across the city local area every year, for the next 10 years.

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