More than 100,000 trees will be planted across 13 projects, with $1.5 million directed to suburbs with less tree cover and greater exposure to heat. A further $1.5 million will fund 10 projects that give busy shopping strips and streets a green makeover, including in St Albans, Sunshine West, Brunswick and Richmond. Projects include 16,000 trees across Hume and 14,000 at Cranwell Park in Braybrook. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes said the government had already planted half a million trees across Melbourne's west.
Birch, beech and sycamore trees at Wisley garden in Surrey have shed their leaves early after a record hot summer. Horticulturists say drought stress has caused a false autumn, with yellow-leaved trees losing foliage by mid-October. Trees with shallow roots are most affected, as they cannot reach deeper groundwater. Experts expect an earlier, shorter colour display in drought-hit areas. Wisley plans to plant more hardy, deep-rooted trees such as Lebanon cedars and swamp cypresses to adapt to changing conditions.
Dickson residents may challenge a planning approval for the first stage of the $94 million Tradies Dickson Green development. The Territory Planning Authority approved the project on Poppyfield Street, which will provide 246 apartments across two buildings. Dickson Residents Group spokesperson Gene McGlynn said the approval was confusing and that issues including trees and traffic appeared unresolved. A residents meeting on Thursday, 29 October, at Daramalan College will consider next steps, including a possible ACAT challenge.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Sunbury will get more shade as the Victorian state government invests $3 million in 23 greening projects across two programs. The first program will plant more than 100,000 trees across 13 projects, with $1.5 million directed to suburbs with less tree cover and greater heat exposure. Planting will take place across Melbourne's west and south-east, including 15,000 trees along the Maribyrnong River. The second program will give 10 busy shopping strips and streets a green makeover, including St Albans, Sunshine West, Brunswick and Melbourne's CBD.
A botanist says crepe myrtles suit gardens and courtyards better than large-scale planting along urban streets. The medium-sized tree is often covered in white, pink, purple or red flowers, and it has become common in new housing developments. Its flowers can shed in large volumes and turn mushy and slippery as they decay. The tree also provides less shade and fewer habitats for wildlife than larger trees. Crepe myrtles can still be a good choice in the right numbers, particularly in small courtyards.
A record 90 schools have planted almost 4000 trees through the Trees for Schools program, including Daraweit Guim Primary School. Greater Western Water aims to increase tree cover, reduce stormwater run-off to waterways, improve green spaces and teach students about the benefits of trees. Greater Western Water strategy and partnerships general manager Kessia Thomson said trees release water vapour that becomes rainfall and their roots help strengthen soil. The program began in 2021 with 22 schools.
Ninety schools across Melbourne's west have planted 3911 native trees through Greater Western Water's Trees for Schools program. The initiative aims to increase tree cover, reduce stormwater run-off to local waterways and teach students about environmental benefits. Schools received native trees, stakes, guards and expert planting advice. Since launching in 2021, the program has grown from 22 schools to 90. It is delivered with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action through the More Trees for a Cooler Greener West initiative.
Canberra gardeners are buying plants that survive winter, according to a year of nursery orders across the ACT. Japanese box and English box handle hard frost well, and coastal rosemary is a native option that tolerates frost to about minus 7 degrees. For trees, ornamental pears, crepe myrtle and Japanese maples are popular choices. Bay trees, liriope and mondo grass also sell well, and pots are the most common purpose.
Southern Grampians Shire Council has endorsed the removal of 66 London Plane Trees in stages two and three of the Hamilton CBD redevelopment. The Project Advisory Group recommended removal due to substantial impacts on buildings, footpaths, and roads. Council will now proceed with concept designs, including a tree replacement strategy for future greenery and canopy growth. Construction is not due to start until stage one is complete.
Concerns have been raised over two 100-year-old trees cut down in Red Hill to make way for a CFA shed. Grant Roberts, who was taking part in a Nature Stewards program at the Red Hill Mechanics Hall in June, said his group spotted a felled eucalypt on the neighbouring CFA site. Roberts later learned it was a Messmate and that perhaps two had been removed. He said the Mornington Peninsula Shire approved the CFA application, despite planning overlays protecting the site.
A strip of green space in West Footscray will no longer be used for construction on the Melbourne Airport Rail project, following a community campaign. Residents of Rupert Street Community had opposed its use as a construction laydown area, warning that trees and a buffer from the rail corridor could be lost. Spokesperson Julie Nunn said the group supported the project but questioned the need for tree removal. The project's spokesperson said the program had been altered to avoid using the land. Safety fencing will still be needed near First Street for three weeks to protect trees.
A charity is planning a 200km green corridor of trees around the edge of London, designed to protect greenbelt land and boost biodiversity. The London Tree Ring project, led by CPRE London, will invite community groups, schools and landowners to plant trees and look after green spaces over the next 25 years. The project is set for an official launch on 15 October. Early test sites include a hedgerow revival that planted disease-resistant elm, a species almost wiped out in the 1960s and 1970s, and a microforest in Sutton.
The City of Greater Geelong is seeking community feedback on its draft public tree management policy, which guides the planning, planting, maintenance, protection and removal of over 190,000 urban trees. The updated policy prohibits permanent attachments to trees, expands tree removal pathways, and introduces a formal process for investigating tree root impacts. Feedback can be submitted before 11.59pm on Monday 2 November.
Lions Australia's Green Canopy Environment Project, launched in 2024, aims to plant one million trees nationwide by mid-2027. The Gloucester Lions Club recently added eight Brush Box trees to Captain Cook Park's southern end, an area previously lacking shade. Collaborating with the Gloucester Environment Group and MidCoast Council, the club addressed the park's need for additional greenery. The council supplied resources, while the Environment Group assisted with planting and maintenance. This initiative aligns with the council's Greening Strategy, with hopes for future community tree-planting efforts.
