Update - Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy

The Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy was endorsed by Council in December 2023 and is currently being implemented. A dashboard has been created here and you can find out more about urban greening and cooling and how it affects Waverley here.

Background

Waverley Council has developed a draft Urban Greening and Cooling strategy for consultation, with support from the NSW Government’s Greener Neighbourhoods grant program.

Urban trees and vegetation, whether on public or private land, provide shade and shelter, better air quality, absorption of carbon, rainfall and stormwater as well as habitat and food for local animals and birds. International research also confirms that greening initiatives such as planting street trees, rainwater gardens and de-paving can mitigate urban heat, which is accelerating due to climate change and urbanisation.

Therefore, ensuring a nature positive Waverley will enhance our climate resilience, sustain our local biodiversity and support healthy, liveable neighbourhoods. It will also help us meet the following objectives in the Waverley Community Strategic Plan:

  • 2.3 Prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change
  • 2.4 Protect and increase our local bushland, parks, urban canopy cover and habitat areas.

Local challenges to growing and maintaining canopy in Waverley include sandy coastal soils, high density development with high land values and a large percentage of land in private ownership, and due to Waverley’s coastal topography, canopy trees are not appropriate in all areas. Therefore, the draft Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy proposes actions to extend our canopy and green cover target of 29% by 2029 to 35% by 2032, under four goals focussing on public land, private land, community stewardship and compliance.

LGA-wide green cover target (includes canopy, shrub and vegetated ground cover)

Draft Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy 2023

Read Strategy open in new window

How to provide feedback

Residents are invited to provide feedback on the draft Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy until 5 October 2023.

Please read the strategy, and then answer the survey questions below or email your feedback to Suzanne.Dunford@waverley.nsw.gov.au

Have Your Say

Please complete the short survey below by 5 October 2023.

Tell us about your favourite tree

Do you have a favourite tree in Waverley?

Council wants to recognise and celebrate our extraordinary trees, and encourage shared appreciation for these local natural assets and the benefits they can provide. Please upload a photo of your favourite tree whether its in a park or in your backyard, tell us where it is located and why it is special to you.

Features that could make a tree locally significant could include:

  • Cultural or commemorative value

    For example trees associated with a significant person, place or historical event, or valued for spiritual, educational or other social associations, including aboriginal culture and heritage.

  • Botanic or scientific value

    For example, trees of horticultural value, providing an outstanding example of age, size or habitat.


  • Ecological value

    For example, trees which provide habitat for rare or threatened species, or indigenous remnant vegetation which provides a vital local seed source

    Photo: Threatened plant community, Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub at York Road.

  • Visually pleasing

    For example, trees that are outstanding in height, trunk circumference or canopy spread or provide a local landmark.