The Greening our City program helps councils across NSW plant more trees and add greenery to parks, streets, and neighbourhoods. More trees bring shade, cool down suburbs, and make our communities better places to live and work.
We focus on councils in fast-growing areas where more trees will make the biggest difference for growing populations. Since 2019, we’ve funded 131 projects across 4 grant rounds. These projects will plant over 107,000 trees in the places that need them most.
Together with councils, we’re making our cities greener, cooler, and healthier.
Greening our City grant 2025 – now open
The NSW Government is providing up to $10 million in funding to eligible councils through the Greening our City Program for urban greening projects. For the first time, the grant program is expanding beyond Greater Sydney, with 43 local councils now eligible to apply.
The 2025 grant round will support councils to enhance urban greening and increase biodiversity across local government areas.
The expanded grant program will benefit an additional 1.4 million NSW residents by:
Planting trees, shrubs, and plants that reduce urban heat, increase liveability, and support biodiversity in urban areas.
Prioritising areas of low canopy and high urban heat.
Aligning with the Biodiversity in Place Framework, Clean Air Strategy, local urban greening strategies, and areas identified under the low and mid-rise housing policy.
Cooling and greening public spaces, including streets, parks, plazas, and active transport routes.
Demonstrating Connecting to Country principles.
Applications for the 2025 grant round close on 5pm Friday, 26 September 2025.
This grant round is being administered by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
Supporting information
The 2025 Greening our City Grant Guidelines (PDF, 958 KB) provide further details about eligibility, the assessment process, and how to apply. The heat vulnerability and canopy cover data for Greater Sydney (PDF, 330 KB) has been provided to support council’s grant applications.
We recommend reviewing the frequently asked questions when preparing your grant application.
If your questions are not addressed in the FAQs, contact us at [email protected]. We will update the FAQs based on enquiries we receive, noting the publication of new questions and answers is at the Department’s discretion.
Eligible councils
- Central Coast Council
- Cessnock City Council
- Kiama Municipal Council
- Lake Macquarie City Council
- Maitland City Council
- City of Newcastle
- Port Stephens Council
- Shellharbour City Council
- Shoalhaven City Council
- City of Wollongong
- Bayside Council
- Blacktown City Council
- Blue Mountains City Council
- Burwood Council
- Camden Council
- Campbelltown City Council
- City of Canada Bay
- Canterbury-Bankstown Council
- Cumberland City Council
- Fairfield City Council
- Georges River Council
- Hawkesbury City Council
- The Hills Shire Council
- Hornsby Shire Council
- Hunter’s Hill Council
- Inner West Council
- Ku-ring-gai Council
- Lane Cove Council
- Liverpool City Council
- Mosman Municipal Council
- North Sydney Council
- Northern Beaches Council
- City of Parramatta Council
- Penrith City Council
- Randwick City Council
- City of Ryde Council
- Strathfield Council
- Sutherland Shire Council
- City of Sydney
- Waverley Council
- Willoughby City Council
- Wollondilly Shire Council
- Woollahra Municipal Council
Case studies
Explore our case studies to discover how urban greening transforms communities, enhances biodiversity, and creates cooler, more sustainable cities.
Previous grants
In 2022, the NSW Government awarded $9.9 million in grant funding to 21 projects in 17 councils across Greater Sydney. These projects planted over 17,000 new trees to increase urban tree canopy where there was low coverage. They also added more than 35,000 square metres of green cover.
The grant funding helped fix canopy gaps by planting trees in suburbs with low tree cover and high heat. These new trees now provide shade, lower local temperatures, and reduce the urban heat island effect.
The funding also gave councils the support they needed to plant and care for the trees during the first 12 months. After that, councils commit to continue to look after the trees as part of their regular maintenance.
In 2021, the NSW Government awarded over $9.9 million in grant funding to 28 projects across Greater Sydney. These projects planted over 20,000 new trees to increase urban tree canopy where there was low coverage.
The grant funding helped address low tree canopy and high heat. The new trees now provide shade, lower local temperatures, and reduce the urban heat island effect.
The funding also gave councils the support they needed to plant and care for the trees during the first 12 months. After that, councils committed to continue looking after the trees as part of their regular maintenance.
In 2020, the NSW Government awarded $10.2 million in grant funding to 50 projects in Greater Sydney through 2 streams:
Stream 1: Cooler suburbs
$8.1 million was awarded to 38 projects to support council tree planting. These projects added over 40,000 new trees in public spaces across Greater Sydney. These projects brought more shade and comfort to community.
Stream 2: Green innovations
$2.1 million was awarded to 12 projects that offered smart, scalable ways to solve tree planting challenges.
In 2019, the NSW Government awarded over $5.3 million in grant funding to 32 projects across 20 councils in Greater Sydney. These projects enhanced urban tree canopy in public spaces such as streets, parks and plazas.
Resources
Use these resources to help you design better, more effective projects. They offer clear guidance on urban greening and climate adaptation to benefit community health:
- Low-mid rise housing: Learn about creating thriving and sustainable communities through the tree canopy guide for low- and mid-rise housing to support urban tree canopy and deep soil.
- Greener Neighbourhoods: Learn how to create cooler, shadier greener neighbourhoods.
- Biodiversity in Place: Welcome nature into our backyards, balconies, rooftops and verges. Learn more at Biodiversity in Place.
- Urban heat and canopy data: Mapping heat and tree cover helps focus green projects where they’re needed most. Learn more at urban heat and canopy data.
- Climate Adaptation Resources: AdaptNSW has been produced by the NSW Government to inform and empower communities, businesses, households and government to adapt to climate change.
- Air Quality: Trees significantly impact air quality by absorbing pollutants and releasing oxygen. Trees create healthier communities, learn about the air quality around you.
- Cooler Places: Cooler Places is a resource hub that helps plan cooler towns and cities. It gives advice on how to use urban design, green spaces, water, and cool materials to build cooler, more resilient places to live.
- Valuing green infrastructure and public spaces: The Department created a valuation framework to make sure projects and programs include green spaces. It helps them plan, budget, and deliver these spaces.
- Which Plant Where: The Which Plant Where tool helps decision-makers choose plant species that can handle climate change across Australia. It also includes helpful guides and tips to overcome common challenges in creating green spaces.
For grant assistance, email the Green and Sustainability team: [email protected]