Ku-ring-gai Council has won a $50,000 grant for trees. The Council was awarded the grant by the NSW Government to improve its knowledge and management of local trees. The grant was announced last month as part of a $1.65 million package of funding given to 28 NSW councils under the Greener Neighbourhoods grant program.
The state government program aims to create cooler and shadier neighbourhoods to combat the effects of high temperatures caused by climate change. Ku-ring-gai Council will use the $50,000 grant to help create a comprehensive inventory of local trees on public land in priority areas.
Aerial photography and field assessments will provide data for location mapping of existing trees. The grant is the first step towards the creation of tree inventory on Council managed land across Ku-ring-gai, excluding bushland. Collection of the data and the inventory will also help the Council implement its Urban Forest Strategy, which will be presented as a draft to this month’s Council meeting.
Mayor Jeff Pettett said preserving Ku-ring-gai’s reputation as the ‘green heart’ of Sydney was a priority for the Council.
“We know that the tree canopy is under threat. This grant will help us manage trees on public land that are most affected by urban heat.”
Mayor Pettett added that the Council was educating the community on the value of trees.
“The inventory will help our understanding of where the gaps are in Ku-ring-gai’s tree canopy.”
Mayor Pettett said work would start on the project this month and was expected to finish by early 2023.
