2021-09-25
Today’s announcement of over $14 million to expand the ACT’s tree planting program and improve tree maintenance is a significant step in delivering the ACT Greens’ election commitment to turn Canberra into an urban biodiversity sanctuary.
“A bush capital packed with healthy habitat and more green space is good for people in our community and all the species we share this city with,” said Andrew Braddock MLA, ACT Greens spokesperson on Better Suburbs.
“The ACT Greens in Cabinet and on the crossbench are working hard to ensure the government achieves ambitious green targets, including 30% tree canopy, planting ecologically diverse neighbourhood forests, and changing our laws to better protect mature trees.
“The ACT Greens will keep bringing these ideas to the table to make our city more liveable, beautiful, and resilient in a changing climate. Canberra’s tree canopy cover is currently at an average of 19% with some suburbs as low as 5%.
“The planting program funded in this budget must prioritise suburbs that have low tree canopy cover. Due to heat island effects, people in these areas really suffer during our hot summers, and are most in need of the cooling shade of more trees.
“Biodiversity is the key to a healthy environment. Building ecosystems, not monocultures, will ensure our urban trees are resilient to climate change, providing shade to cool our city as well as food and homes to all of Canberra’s birds and animals.
“With Greens in the ACT Government for the past nine years, Canberra has become a national leader on climate action and environmental protection. The next federal election is an opportunity to elect Greens representatives for the ACT, to push the next federal government to do the same.”
The ACT Greens election commitments trees are available at https://greens.org.au/act/neighbourhood-forests .