Tree group meets with council staff about urban strategy

An Umina community group campaigning for a greener Peninsula has met with other environment groups and council planners to discuss Central Coast Council's Urban Forest Strategy.

Members of the Grow Urban Shade Trees group met with members of Save Wyong Trees, the Central Coast Community Environment Network and senior strategists and policy writers from Central Coast Council on January 29.

Group member Ms Debbi Sunartha said that Council's Urban Forest Strategy was of particular significance to the Peninsula, which suffered from a severe lack of urban trees and dedicated greenspaces.

She said the urban forest strategy was "possibly the most important strategy this Council has drafted for decades".

"It's looking like the Central Coast Urban Forest Strategy is emphatically moving ahead, and with it our dream for a strategic framework for extending and improving the provision of green space, landscaping and shade trees in urban areas not just on the Peninsula, but across the entire Central Coast.

"It will spell out the benefits of plants and open spaces, and identify opportunities, responsibilities, systems and processes for protecting and improving on the trees and green spaces we have as well as planning for smarter, greener, cooler and more sustainable cities and suburbs," she said.

Ms Sunartha said the benefits of an environmentally-sound strategy would be enormous.

"This is something that will benefit not just our environment and the humans and animals that share it, but industries like tourism, building and landscape design, horticulture and real estate.

"Most importantly it will protect our health and the health of our children by providing clean air and shade now and in the future.

"The meeting reminded us that ordinary people can help make a difference.

"We are just regular people who found each other and share a passion for good planning and the value of trees.

"If you have something you feel strongly about, pick up the lap top, phone or the good old pen and paper and tell your decision-makers your vision," Ms Sunartha said.

SOURCE:

Social media, 29 Jan 2019

Debbie Sunartha, GUST