Geelong council has invited residents to request new trees to be planted on their nature strip or at a nearby reserve as part of the City’s 2024 tree planting season.
The program, which has just commenced, aims to plant over 1600 trees across Greater Geelong.
Over 400 trees are already lined up for planting to replace those recently removed and in response to community requests, including 100 trees along Rollins Road in Bell Post Hill, 97 at Ocean Grove’s Alderbaran Road and 68 new plantings on Carr Street.
Councillor Peter Murrihy said the City was responsible for managing 112,000 street trees and more than 51,491 trees in municipal parks, as well as the trees along rural roadways, waterways, bike trails and in reserves.
“We are committed to increasing our tree canopy across urban, coastal and rural areas of Greater Geelong,” Cr Murrihy said.
“I encourage community members to request a new tree for their nature strip at no cost soon so that it can be planted as part of the City’s 2024 tree planting season.
“New trees improve the look and feel of a neighbourhood and provide essential habitat for
native wildlife.”
The City has planted 21,294 trees across Greater Geelong since it adopted its Urban Forest Strategy in 2015.
Mayor Trent Sullivan said Geelong’s designation as a Tree City of the World for the second year in a row was a result of the council’s commitment to the City’s urban forest.
“We are committed to plant canopy trees in our streets and parks because they cool our neighbourhoods, improve health and wellbeing, and clean the air,” Mayor Sullivan said.
“There are unexpected benefits too, such as how tree shade can reduce household cooling costs, an avenue of street trees can increase property values and tree lined shopping centres have higher economic activity.”
Go to geelong.link/request-a-tree to ask for a new tree on your nature strip or to replace a dead or vandalised tree or geelong.link/treeplanting for details about the location, species and number of trees in the City’s 2024 tree planting season.
