The suburb of Rosemeadow has one of the lowest levels of tree canopy in the Greater Sydney region. The project explored ways to achieve the 40% canopy target through tree planting on public land including streets and open spaces that have a dual-purpose as stormwater overland flow infrastructure.

Increasing tree canopy cover is important for climate change adaptation in urban areas. Trees provide shade, cooling, contribute to improved storm water management and urban amenity. The urban heat island effect in Western Sydney is a major challenge that affects the health and wellbeing of the community.  Increasing tree canopy cover is a way to mitigate the urban heat island effect to create cooler communities and a more liveable future.

NSW DPIE in collaboration with Campbelltown City Council,  commissioned 3 design documents to demonstrate industry best-practice and showcase the methodology, learnings and outcomes of the project. These documents are intended for use by councils and industry to support tree plantings on streets, reserves and in open spaces.

A webinar on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 1:00 PM  – 2:00 PM AEDT looks at 3 different scales of projects with innovative approaches to using stormwater. These innovative projects integrate trees with stormwater infrastructure to improve water quality, mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve biodiversity outcomes to make the places we live and work greener, cooler, and more resilient.  Register here