Council has been successful in obtaining grants to plant more trees in Wollondilly Shire with the primary objective of enhancing urban tree canopy cover. This project is part of the Greening Our City grant program that is proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with Local Government NSW.

 

The focus of the plantings will be to:

• Help manage local climate extremes like heat island effect by creating a better microclimate which will make the planting sites more usable. 
• Improve the quality of stormwater runoff.
• Where possible, select species to ensure there is always something flowering, fruiting or seeding throughout the year to make the site attractive and interesting but also to ensure there is always food available for wildlife.

 

Heat Island Effect

Heat island effect occurs when trees are removed and replaced with roads, roofs and pavements in high density areas. This can increase air temperatures by up to 10 degrees celsius compared to nearby natural environments. 

 

By planting more trees and other vegetation we can minimise the impacts of local heat island effect. Trees also help minimise frosts and provide wind breaks.  

As part of the grant some new canopy trees will be planted in the first half of 2021 to the following two locations:

• Mt Hunter –  Planting of canopy trees in Peppercorn Park to provide shade for the grassed open space and footpath leading from Burragorang Rd through the park and connecting to Peppercorn Ave.

• Bingara Gorge, Wilton – Planting of 205 street trees to replace missing trees in the streetscape for future canopy cover and to reduce the heat island effect experienced by developments.  

 

Tahmoor Park, Dudley Chesham Oval and Yallambi Street Artificial Creek Planting Project

One of the successful grants was for these locations to be planted with endemic trees to increase the value of the sites to both the community and environment.

 

What will you be seeing over the next 18 months at these locations?

• Mulch stockpiling and spreading to minimise weeds, create healthier soils and help establish native plants
• Weed control
• Planting native tubestock
• Maintenance and watering

 

Native Plants to go in

All native plants will be donated by the Robin Davies Wollondilly Community Nursery.

 

Want to be Involved?

You can help by joining us at a community planting day. Community planting days will be scheduled and advertised as soon as the site is prepared. They will be advertised via Council’s website and Facebook page.  

 

Tank to Tree Project

For this successful grant, Wollondilly Shire Council has partnered with Sydney Water for an exciting project looking at how we can better manage stormwater to promote greener neighbourhoods.

The Tank to Tree project will utilise stormwater harvesting to irrigate trees at Picton Sportsground in order to highlight the important role of sustainable water sources in delivering cooling and greening outcomes in our urban environment. The data collected from the project will provide information on:

• How we can better utilise stormwater to promote healthier trees and vegetation
• How we can get better stormwater quality outcomes for our waterways by using vegetation

 Tree canopy cover can significantly improve the liveability and resilience of the community. Therefore, it is important to look find innovative ways (and collate data for justification) to support greener neighbourhoods, especially in a changing climate.

 

Contact

Please contact Council on 4677 11 00 or email Council if you would like any further information.