Trees are Cool

It's easy to take for granted how important trees are to our everyday lives.

When was the last time you stopped to really appreciate the look, feel and smell of a tree in your local area?

Trees provide many benefits for our environment, health, economy and the community.

• Green streets make a more enjoyable journey. People tend to walk and cycle more on shaded streets, improving our physical and mental health.
• Living with more trees lowers our stress levels and improves our mood. They create calming and inspiring environments which encourage learning and alertness.
• Leafy streets and yards can increase property values by up to 30%.
• Temperatures under the shade of a tree can be 10 - 25°C less than in the full sun. The shade of a tree can reduce your home cooling costs by more than 10%.
• Street trees and vegetation in swales adjacent the road (rain gardens) can have up to a 6°C cooling effect.
• Greener communities bring people together in backyards, reserves and in the street. In well connected communities people support each other and we are more resilient.
• Trees are home, shelter and food for birds and other wildlife.
• Trees can have cultural or historical significance and are important connections to our past.
• Tree roots increase infiltration of water into the soil, reducing run off and stormwater.
• Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other pollution particles.
• Trees create an environment where people to linger and shop longer in local businesses. Shoppers indicate they will travel a greater distance to visit an area having high quality trees and spend more time there once they arrive.

We want to see our streets and parks lined with healthy trees that are habitat for birds and wildlife.

By 2040 our tree canopy will increase by 20%.

We are planting 3,400 street trees each year and 1000 reserve trees over the next 5 years.

Each year we plant 10,000 local native trees, shrubs and grasses in reserves to create habitat and cool our suburbs.

• Plant appropriate tree species in your yard and encourage others to do the same
• Look after existing trees by watering and monitoring
• Talk with friends, family and neighbours and why trees in your neighbourhood are important to you
• Join the Adopt a Tree program or a local environmental volunteer group