By working closely with the local community to address their needs the team at Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) embodied the value of responsiveness.
Background
The Victorian Government is planting 500,000 trees in Melbourne’s western suburbs through the More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West program.
Challenge
Melbourne’s western suburbs experience some of the highest levels of urban heat vulnerability in metropolitan Melbourne. 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.
Planting trees to increase shade and cooling through urban forest and canopy cover can reduce air temperatures across a precinct by up to 2°C. This helps reduce heat-related illness and death, and gives people better access to cooler green spaces.
Result
To date, more than 419,000 trees have been planted in popular public spaces including Burndap Park in Maribyrnong, Cherry Lake in Altona, and at Victoria University’s Werribee campus. Around 5,100 trees have been provided to over 70 schools through the program, creating shady and biodiverse spaces for students to learn.
By planting more trees in Melbourne’s western suburbs, this program is having a tangible impact on the communities who now get to access cooler, greener parks, walking trails and schools.
By 2026, 500,000 trees will have been planted across the west. All this is made possible by the hard work and commitment of councils, land managers, schools, and the local community who’ve worked hand in hand with staff at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to make this vision a reality.