Waverley Council is welcoming 2024 with a new Greening and Cooling Strategy that outlines 26 targeted actions to increase canopy, shrubs and greenspace in Waverley to 35% by 2032.
Actions the Council will take so that Waverley is more than one-third covered in canopy and vegetation cover include planting 500 street trees and 40 park trees each year, the Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos said.
The strategy also focuses on fostering protection of trees on private land, activating community stewardship and better compliance and reporting.
"As global and local temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, Council's ability to protect and enhance greening on both public and private land is critical to managing an effective local response to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency," Mayor Masselos said.
"Protecting and preserving our natural assets is crucial for any organisation that is serious about addressing climate change, and Waverley Council is at the forefront of this fight," Mayor Masselos said.
Trees, shrubs and groundcovers provide multiple public benefits, including cooling through shade and evapotranspiration, biodiversity habitat and food, improved air quality and absorption of carbon, rainfall and stormwater.
Protecting, restoring and repairing trees and vegetation in Waverley will reduce the need for air conditioning, and increase local amenity by encouraging walking and physical activity through our green spaces and village centres.
"Ensuring Waverley is "nature positive"— a term that refers to when species and ecosystems are being restored and regenerated rather than diminished— will help us enhance regional climate resilience, and ensure healthy, naturally cool neighbourhoods into the future," Mayor Masselos said.
"Despite being just 10 kilometres from the CBD, Waverley's parks, coastline and beaches support Distinct native plant communities that provide homes for more than 50 native animals species, and this strategy will support our local biodiversity to thrive.
"There are many simple ways the community can help Waverley be "nature positive" including through our Living Connections habitat gardening program, participating in Bushcare and community gardening, or applying to plant a verge garden. Residents are also encouraged to report tree vandalism using Council's Snap Send Solve app."
The 2023 Greening and Cooling Strategy, which supports Council's climate resilience goals, received overwhelming support from the community during development phase and was endorsed by Council in December. It was developed with support from the NSW Government's Greener Neighbourhoods grant program.
In 2021, Waverley Council became one of the first organisations in Australia to adopt a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 for its organisation. In 2022, it adopted a net zero target by 2035 for the whole Waverley community.
In August last year, the Council launched a Net Zero Alliance to support these targets. Founding members Sydney Roosters, Waverley College, St Catherine's School, Sydney and the Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce will work with the Council and each other to help make sustainability second nature within their own networks to benefit the Waverley community and Sydney's east at large.
Despite local challenges to growing and maintaining canopy in Waverley (sandy coastal soil; high density; high private land ownership), the Council has managed to increase vegetation cover since 2005 by successfully managing trees in our streets and parks, however, there has been significant loss of trees and green space on private land.
"For this reason, our new strategy outlines actions to help protect vegetation and deep soil on private land, and to galvanise community stewardship for greening initiatives and to safeguard the trees and vegetation that we have."
