Spring into action: The time is right to adopt a tree

As winter fades Wollongong residents can get in on the urban greening act through Wollongong City Council’s Adopt a Tree program.

The most recent phase of the program saw more than 450 trees, and 71 different species, planted throughout our suburbs. With Spring looming, Council is opening the Expression of Interest process to get onto the next round of trees to be planted before Summer.

The Adopt a Tree program supports Council’s Urban Greening Strategy, which aims to increase our overall urban tree canopy to beautify and cool our streets.

Residents can request and select a free street tree be planted on the public verge in front of their home. There are various options available, from deciduous, evergreen, native or exotic trees that are suited to specific locations. The options include local natives that are grown at the Wollongong Botanic Garden that are not widely available at regular nurseries.

Requests for particular species are dependent upon conditions and location, with factors like the location of underground services, soil type, width and depth of your verge, location of power lines, views and sight lines, driveways, water meters, traffic signals and signage visibility for road users.

Council staff are aware of the specific constraints and are available to find the right tree for you to care for in front of your home.

“We’ve taken huge strides in this area through our Urban Greening Strategy and it’s encouraging to see so many of our residents contributing to those goals through the Adopt a Tree Program,” Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.

“Over the last seven years we have planted more than 440,000 trees on Council land, while our Greenplan Nursery has distributed more than 175,000 local native trees for planting.

“We’ve managed an overall increase in canopy of 3.6 per cent, and we’ve seen bigger increases in suburbs with low tree canopies  including:

• Primbee - more than 12 per cent
• Cringila – more than 8 per cent
• Port Kembla – more than 6 per cent

“Along with other initiatives such as Tiny Forests, koala conservation sanctuaries, and the Red Room poetry contest, it’s pleasing to see we are putting the objectives of the Urban Greening Strategy into action.”

Councillor Brown also welcomed the recently announced broadening of the NSW Government’s Greening Our City program from Greater Sydney, offering $10 million in funding across 13 Council areas, including Wollongong, to plant trees and native vegetation in parks, plazas, and other public spaces.

“We’ve done well on our own to achieve canopy cover of 27 per cent, but we’re still below the national average for major Australian cities,” Cr Brown said.

“We will certainly be looking to further enhance our efforts through applying for this state government funding.”

You can apply to adopt a tree via this form on Council’s website.