What is urban greening?

    Urban greening is about strategically increasing the quality and quantity of vegetation (trees and other plants) and open green spaces in an urban setting.

    What is the Draft Urban Greening Strategy 2017-37?

    • This is our City’s first comprehensive strategy for urban trees and vegetation. 
    • It’s a framework that will help develop a coordinated approach to managing urban vegetation and trees.
    • It outlines the steps needed to plan, program and invest in quality urban greening, to ensure the long term liveability of Wollongong.

    Why do we need an Urban Greening Strategy?

    • We have the opportunity to establish an innovative, inspiring and more liveable city by harnessing the benefits of urban greening. 
    • Amenity, liveability, climate change, biodiversity, urban development, tree replacement and asset management are all important reasons to take a strategic approach to greening our city.
    • Wollongong’s average urban tree canopy cover of 17% is well below the national average of 39%.

    Why do we need more trees – won’t that mean more problems?

    • Trees provide us with things we really can’t do without, like oxygen, shade and shelter.
    • The future appeal, resilience, value and amenity of urban Wollongong depend on proper planning and management of our vegetation. 
    • The Strategy is focussed on identifying opportunities to manage our trees better, to maximise benefits and minimise risks.
    • Site constraints and conflicts with infrastructure need to be carefully managed - the wrong tree in the wrong spot can lead to problems.
    • Many of our current public trees may be nearing the end of their useful life. We need a consistent and agreed approach to replacing these trees.

    How will Council protect trees on private land?

    • We want to work in partnership with our community. Protecting trees and enhancing urban greening in the private realm, including new developments, is important.
    • Privately owned and controlled property makes up the majority of the land area, and the majority of urban vegetation.
    • Existing planning control, regulation, and Tree Management Permits are the mechanisms for managing trees on private land.

    What will Council do?

    • To move towards best practice, Council will need to adopt a staged approach to implementing priority actions. 
    • Priority actions include creating a consistent set of Technical Guidelines, undertaking a public Tree Inventory, and commencing pilot plantings to align with our capital works program. Details of immediate actions are outlined on page 39 of the Draft Strategy. 

    How can I get involved?

    • Council is committed to working in partnership with our community, and there are a range of opportunities to get involved. 
    • Go to Council’s website(External link) to:
      - subscribe to our Sustainable Wollongong newsletter
      - find out about upoming events and workshops
      - find out about visiting the Greenplan Nursery for local native plants and advice
      - connect with a local Bushcare group to look after our natural areas
      - download the GROW LOCAL Edible and Native Garden guides – great resources for planning fabulous gardens using appropriate plants for your area.  

    How can I have my say?

    You are invited to provide feedback on the Draft Urban Greening Strategy 2017-37 in one of the following ways: