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The Minns Labor Government is investing almost $500,000 to make Lane Cove and Hunters Hill cooler, greener and more walkable.

Funding through the Greening our City program will enable Lane Cove and Hunters Hill Councils to plant more than 600 new trees and deliver over 1,300 square metres of biodiverse understory planting, enhancing shade, reducing urban heat and improving the local streetscape.  

The investment is part of the Government’s Greening our City program, which supports councils to increase tree canopy cover, reduce urban heat and improve biodiversity, making communities healthier, more resilient and better connected to nature.  

Round five of the program will fund 25 projects across Greater Sydney, and deliver more than 12,000 trees and 38,000 square metres of understorey planting including:

• Planting street trees to increase urban canopy and provide shade and cooling along pedestrian pathways and establishing understorey to enhance biodiversity and visual amenity in Kellyville
• Transforming a degraded street verge into a biodiverse woody meadow, providing dedicated blue-tongue lizard habitat through indigenous native understorey planting and local community stewardship in Bronte.

Almost 90 per cent of plantings in the current round will go into sites that have less than 20 per cent canopy cover. These plantings will cool neighbourhoods, improve air quality, and support communities in areas that need it most.

Since 2019, the program has awarded $46.8 million to 164 greening projects across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, and the Hunter-Central Coast to build climate resilience, improve air quality, and connect communities with nature.

The program is funded by the NSW Climate Change Fund and administered by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, with applications independently and overseen to ensure strong governance.  

A list of successful applicants is available on the NSW Government website.

Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces, Stephen Bali, said:

“Greening our suburbs are vital to supporting the health and wellbeing of our community.

“More trees mean more shade, cooler streets, and a better quality of life.

“The Greening our City program helps us grow into a healthier, more resilient place for future generations.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said:

“This is another example of the Minns Labor Government helping create high-quality green suburbs.

“Greening our City delivers beautiful public spaces where people can relax and play in cooler, more liveable communities.

“This grant will make Lane Cove a greener and more enjoyable place to live, work and visit.”