Blacktown City Council is tackling urban heat by planting thousands of trees across the City, creating healthier and greener suburbs for the community.
Council will soon wrap up the largest tree planting project in its history, funded as part of the NSW Government’s Urban Greening grant program.
The $1 million project – jointly funded by Council and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment – is part of the effort to increase green cover across Greater Sydney and lift urban canopy coverage to 40 per cent by 2036.
Since 2019, Council has planted more than 2,500 trees along streets and in parks, including at 2 key gateways into our City at Robert Brown Reserve, Flushcombe Road in Blacktown and Whalan Reserve, Debrincat Avenue in Whalan.
Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM said planting more trees is a vital task in greening the City and helping minimise the impact of urban heat on residents.
“We know more trees means a healthier, more liveable and cooler City for all residents,” Mayor Bleasdale said.
“Increasing canopy cover in Blacktown City is crucial over the coming years, as temperature increases from climate change have the potential to affect our community’s health, productivity and sustainability.
“Our temperatures can be up to 10 degrees higher than those on the Sydney coastline, so it is important we commit to providing a greener environment for the benefit of the entire community.
“Council is proud to partner with the NSW Government to deliver this important tree planting program for Blacktown City, which will leave a lasting environmental legacy for generations to come. Council welcomes further grant funding to support more tree planting projects across our City.”
Department of Planning and Environment Executive Director, Resilience and Urban Sustainability, Steve Hartley, said that planting more trees helps increase our tree canopy, which means more shade, cleaner air, healthier communities and more beautiful places to live.
“Blacktown Council is doing a great job of increasing its urban tree canopy to build better resilience to urban heat which the NSW Government hopes to further grow across Greater Sydney to 40 per cent by 2036,” Mr Hartley said.
Council will complete the project with tree plantings along Reservoir Road, Flushcombe Road and Debrincat Avenue over the coming months.
Picture: Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM (centre) with Councillor Kathie Collins OAM and CEO Kerry Robinson OAM at Robert Brown Reserve in Blacktown.
