PowerPoint Presentation

By Tiffany Fung and Bridget Gielissen Natural resource management personnel

We have pinpointed our main focus in natural resource management to tree planting in the community. The Sutherland Shire always had a unique tree canopy but unfortunately there is a decline in bushland and trees in the region. The Sutherland Shire council has recognised that they need to plant trees in public places rather than private planting. The Sutherland Shire has also acknowledged that this can be an expensive process, if using cages to protect the trees and prolong their natural lifespan. Natural resource management focusAs most councils are aware, planting along road reserves and in parks can be an expensive process. Sutherland Shire notes that amongst trees planted by Council without using protective cages there is only a 50% survival rate at six monthsIn tackling the issue, Sutherland Shire Councils Environment & Building Compliance team came up with the idea of creating community ownership of the trees. The Greenstreets program was fully funded with money raised from fines for environmental offences, such as illegal tree removalSutherland Shire Councils Greenstreets program is a great example of local government working with the community to shape the future of the environmental and social landscape. The Greenstreets program

Council then partnered with the Green Teams from Como West and Jannali primary schools to plant trees along a 2km stretch of road between the two schools. Each tree was tagged with a message from and the name of the child who planted the tree.Six months down the track the success of the project was measured, with a tree survival rate of 92%Council is currently planning its next Greenstreets project, which involves planting alongside a main arterial road that links several suburbs over 7km. Council plans to engage schools, community groups and local businesses in the process of turning a road that is dominated by the built form into a tree-lined showpieceThe Greenstreets program

Our trees, our streets, our communityStudents from Como West Primary school participate in Sutherland Shire Councils Greenstreets program.

Students from Caringbah North Public school also took part in the program, planting trees and labelling them with their own names to give them a sense of owning the tree. null204341.92