Building our Urban Forest

At tomorrow’s Council meeting Newcastle Labor Councillors will call on the NSW Government to match the City’s commitment to its urban forest and reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect.

Newcastle’s urban forest (comprising of over 70,000 street trees, and thousands more in parks and bushland) provides valuable green open space, boosts local biodiversity, reduces stormwater run-off and flooding, and may also be crucial to reducing some of the most severe heat impacts of climate change. 

“The City of Newcastle has a long history as a leader in its urban forest,” said Lord Mayor, Cr Nuatali Nelmes.

“We want to take this stewardship a set further, and have partnered with experts from the University of Newcastle and Western Sydney University to understand the local impacts of Urban Heat Island, and how to best plan for a resilient future.”

“The Premier has recently announced one million new trees for Sydney, and we are calling on the NSW Government to match our commitment to expanding Newcastle’s urban forest”.

Under Labor’s leadership, the City of Newcastle has been working to expand its urban forest, including with recent new community street tree plantings in Wallsend, Elermore Vale, Shortland, Broadmeadow, Cooks Hill, Mayfield and Merewether.

“Our urban forest is not only critical to reducing our city’s carbon footprint, but also to help mitigate some of the most severe impacts of the Urban Heat Island effect,” said Deputy Lord Mayor, Cr Declan Clausen.

 “The Urban Heat Island effect exacerbates warming global temperatures, and is known to increase heat stress for people living in cities, especially by increasing summer night temperatures” 

“Our urban canopy helps cool the City, making it a more liveable place now and into the future.”

Labor Councillors will also join celebration of National Tree Day to be held next weekend. Details below.

National Tree Day

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen will join City of Newcastle staff and our community to celebrate National Tree Day on Saturday 28 July 2019.

Event details:

When: Sunday 28 July 2019, between 9am and 1pm

Where: Bull and Tourle Street Reserve, Shelley Close, Mayfield West

What to wear: appropriate clothing (hat, covered shoes, long sleeve shirt and pants). Gloves, tools and equipment will be provided.

Further Newcastle National Tree Day information here