Urban tree canopy and green spaces keep neighbourhoods healthy, cool, and liveable.
The Department teamed up with Resilient Sydney and local councils to create a program that helps councils make their communities greener and shadier. This program offers policy advice, updated data, and financial support so councils can plan and manage urban forests.
A coordinated approach to planning for tree canopy and green cover is essential to achieving 40% urban tree canopy cover across Greater Sydney by 2036.
Greener Neighbourhoods guide
The Greener Neighbourhoods guide (PDF, 11.3 MB) helps councils make urban areas greener and shadier by developing or updating urban forest plans.
It’s designed for all local councils in NSW looking to start, strengthen, or rethink their approach to urban forest planning.
The guide offers clear steps on understanding, planning, monitoring, and managing urban forests while promoting best practices and consistency across councils.
Urban heat and canopy data in your council area
The Department updates urban tree canopy data to help councils decide where to plant trees and to track changes in canopy over time. Currently, this data is only available for Greater Sydney councils, but we’re working to expand it from Newcastle to Shoalhaven. This data will be released once available.
To find out about the types of data we publish, visit urban heat and tree canopy data.
Your council snapshot
Use the search function to explore the urban heat and greening snapshots for your local government area.
Greener Neighbourhoods grant program
In 2022, the grant program awarded $1.37 million to 28 councils across Greater Sydney to deliver 32 projects. This funding has helped councils to strategically plan for and manage urban forests in their local government area.
The successful projects included:
- developing or updating urban forest strategies and street tree master plans
- developing and enhancing tree asset databases
- analysing tree canopy data to identify priority planting areas
- engaging the community through workshops and educational campaigns to promote the benefits of trees and canopy cover.
Read more about the successful grant recipients and the projects funded by the Greener Neighbourhoods grant.
Urban greening resources
Which Plant Where?
Which Plant Where helps practitioners and decision makers find plant species that can withstand climate change across Australia. It also offers resources and best practice guides to overcome common challenges in creating and maintaining greenspace.
Local Government NSW
Local Government NSW represents the interests of general and special purpose councils across the state. It works to strengthen and protect an effective, democratic local government system by advocating for member councils and providing quality services.
Resilient Cities Network
Resilient Cities Network co-creates urban solutions to tackle complex urban challenges, helping cities and communities thrive. The network will focus on 3 priorities to be delivered through programs of collective action with member cities during the next 2 years through a holistic approach to resilience.
Treenet
Treenet is Australia’s national hub for urban tree research and education, offering networking, resources, training and event opportunities.
Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA)
ACSA is member-based association dedicated to advance citizen science through the knowledge sharing, collaboration, capacity building and advocacy.
Greener Spaces Better Places
Greener Spaces Better Places, originally the 202020 Vision program, unities communities, growers, government, academia, business, industry and everyday people to make our homes, streets and suburbs greener. Every green space counts towards a greener Australia.
How to grow an urban forest
The how to grow an urban forest guide is built on a decade of research by the City of Melbourne, helps councils develop effective urban planning strategies
Trees for Cities
This UK charity, Trees for Cities operates nationally and internationally, improving lives by planting trees in urban areas.
Urban Forest Management Toolkit
A collection of tools that are available internationally.
Urban Green Cover Technical Guidelines
The Urban Green Cover Technical Guidelines offer clear, practical advice on adapting urban spaces with green cover projects to enhance sustainability and resilience.
Urban Greeners’ Resource Hub
Greener Spaces Better Places and Living Melbourne joined to create the Urban Greeners’ Resource Hub. This collection brings together best practice tools, guides, resources and case studies to support urban greening professionals in protecting and enhancing Australia’s urban forests and green spaces.
Urban Heat Planning Toolkit
The Urban Heat Planning Toolkit highlights practical strategies for new development and redevelopment to reduce urban heat and support community adaption.
Urban Tree Canopy Targets & Development Controls
- Urban Tree Canopy Targets & Development Controls Report (PDF, 8.2 MB)
- Appendix A (PDF, 552 KB)
- Appendix B (PDF, 14.1 MB)
- Appendix C (PDF, 8.5 MB)
This report set voluntary best practice targets and planning controls to enhance tree canopy. It explains how the targets are developed and showcases design solutions to help achieve them.
Water Efficiency Study for Urban Tree Management
The NSW government commissioned a water efficiency study to help councils support responsible tree planting. This study provides guidance on sustainable water use to ensure trees thrive in urban environments. Read the Water Efficiency Study for Urban Tree Management – Final report June 2020 (PDF, 3.6 KB)
Western Sydney Street Design Guidelines
The Western Sydney Street Design Guidelines aim to design streets that enhance environmental, social and health outcomes for everyone. The guidelines primarily support new greenfield development areas in Western Sydney but can also apply to evolving urban areas undergoing significant change.
Atlas of Living Australia
The Atlas of Living Australia is a free online database shares information about where Australian plants, animals, and fungi live. It's open to everyone and supports research, conservation, and environmental management.
Australian Plant Name Index
The Australian Plant Name Index tool helps track plant names and their use in scientific literature, whether as official names or synonyms. It supports accurate classification and research in plant science.
Kew Gardens Plants of the World
This Kew Gardens Plants of the World tool has 1,198,000 plant names, 106,800 descriptions, and 278,600 images. It helps people find plant names, learn about them, and see pictures for easy identification. Great for researchers, conservationists, and plant lovers.
More information
This grant round is being administered by Local Government NSW on behalf of the Department. For enquiries or more information, email the team at [email protected]