Could your street do with some shade? Tweed residents are invited to put their hand up for a native tree to be planted in their street as part of Council’s Cool Towns initiative to increase urban tree canopy cover.
A total of 200 native trees from Council’s nursery are ready to be planted as street trees in urban areas across the Tweed to improve areas most lacking in shade. Street trees play an important role in reducing the warming effect created by heat-absorbing roads, footpaths and buildings.
Trees add character
Trees also play a major role in defining the character of a shire and can be used to reduce solar radiation and noise while helping to purify the air. They also help to boost a street with living assets that are both environmentally and aesthetically pleasing.
Council’s Manager Parks and Active Communities Murray Smith said he was pleased to announce this initiative and hoped it would be well received by the community. ‘Trees are a valuable asset and we are pleased to be able to plant 200 native trees for our community. We are asking residents to consider if they have a suitable location in their street or in front of their house that would benefit from a tree.
‘Rather than selecting locations that may not be supported, Council would like to work with residents to find the best locations as well as those who are willing to look after and appreciate the trees.
Encouraging the community to plant their own trees
Mr Smith said he hopes this initiative will also encourage the community to plant more of their own trees in the future.
Mr Smith said the opportunity this time would be confined to residents in coastal and urban areas of the Tweed, due to the fact 80 per cent of the available tree species are suited to coastal habitats.
The trees will be planted in public areas, in particular road reserves, and need to be in the ground within the next eight weeks. Some of the tree species include small-leaved tamarind, tuckeroo, Eumundi ash, weeping lilly pilly, broad-leaved lilly pilly and red cottonwood.
To register your interest, contact Council and log a street tree planting request. Council will assess the site including checking for nearby infrastructure and if suitable, plant a tree in an appropriate location.
This project follows on from the replanting of street trees in Minjungbal Drive in 2020 as part of the Cool Towns initiative. The initiative aims to strengthen and expand the Tweed’s total canopy coverage in urban areas.
Request a tree online at tweed.nsw.gov.au/trees-public-
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