Victorian Government commits to planting half a million trees in Melbourne’s west

The Victorian Government has announced that it will fund the planting of 500,000 trees in Melbourne’s west starting in September.

Aiming to build ‘green canopies’ that will create cooler spaces for residents to enjoy for generations to come, the Victorian Government will invest $5 million to plant the new trees in growth areas across six councils - Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Melton, Brimbank, Moonee Valley and Hobsons Bay - providing more shade and green spaces, driving down pollution and improving air quality.

As the city’s west has far less green cover than other parts of Melbourne, the trees will help reduce the urban heat island effect which leads to higher temperatures and lower air quality in those urban communities without enough vegetation.

In 2018, Melbourne's west had just 5.5% canopy cover in urban areas compared to 17.4% in the inner south-east and 25.9% in the east - resulting in the area experiencing the greatest urban heat island effect across metropolitan Melbourne.

The plan, announced last week by Victorian acting Premier James Merlino, will see appropriate trees, ranging from saplings to more mature trees, being planted.

They will add to the thousands of hectares of new open space and parklands delivered under the Victorian Government’s $154 million Suburban Parks Program, which is providing up to 6,500 hectares of parkland, walking trails, bike trails, pocket parks and dog parks - including 22 new and upgraded parks in Melbourne’s west.

Explaining that the two-year program will see the Victorian Government offer grants to community groups and councils to plant trees, while existing planting programs could be enlarged, acting Premier Merlino stated “in the immediate tranche of planting, we’re going to focus on mature trees so we get the greatest impact as quickly as possible.

“The pandemic reminded us how important it is for our physical and mental health to have green open spaces close to home. These trees will mean more families in the western suburbs can enjoy a cooler, cleaner environment around them.

“This is about improving the lifestyle of all residents, improving the amenities, improving the environment, making it cooler in summer and improving the air quality in the west.”

Image courtesy of National Tree Day.