The WA Government has today announced $1.6 million in funding to support urban canopies throughout the Perth and Peel regions in collaboration with local councils.
As part of the latest round of funding under the Urban Greening Grants Program, which is managed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation in conjunction with the Western Australia Local Government Authority (WALGA), 16 local governments will plant 5,487 trees and 138,768 understorey plants by mid-2025.
“Increasing urban canopy is one of the simplest ways we can fight climate change,” said Environment Minister, Reece Whitby.
“This funding will support local governments throughout Perth and Peel to create greener, leafier – and importantly, more liveable – communities.”
In the past year, the Urban Greening Grants Program has provided $3.75 million for local governments to plant more than 33,000 trees and 260,000 understorey plant species.
It further complements the State Government’s $7.2 million WA Tree Recovery program, which will fund local governments and residential landowners to replant trees that have been removed due to the polyphagous shot-hole borer.
“WALGA is pleased to partner with the WA State Government to distribute the Urban Greening Grants to local governments, particularly in highly utilised community locations where we know there is less than 10 per cent canopy and higher urban heat,” said WALGA President, Karen Chappel.
“We have long advocated that local governments are best placed to know where and how to improve tree canopy, which of course improves neighbourhood amenity, air quality, and provides habitat for wildlife.
“These trees will ultimately deliver a long-term improvement in the liveability of these communities, and we will continue to work with the State Government on improving our tree canopy,” she said.
