Council staff recognise need for trees, says GUST
The Peninsula's voluntary Grow Urban Shade Trees group believes Council's Open Spaces team has recognised the need to increase tree canopy on the Peninsula to address the "urban heat island" effect.
It has agreed to process resident orders for free street trees with the help of the group, which will continue to liaise with residents in the ordering process, said group member Ms Debbie Sunartha.
She said the group was "heartened by the efforts of Council staff" which were hampered by the lack of resources allocated by the council executive.
"Central Coast Council remains an outlier in addressing the urban heat crisis and the time frame for planting is dependent upon availability of staff who are also very busy maintaining parks," said Ms Sunartha.
"This is very frustrating as the need for shade has never been more urgent." says Ms Sunartha."
She said Doctors for the Environment were deeply concerned by the increase in heat-related illness and death caused by poor urban design in conjunction with a heating planet.
"Heat is now officially the most fatal of all natural hazards.
"Strategically-placed trees are important heat-mitigating infrastructure.
"The road is where so much heat is retained and is also the human thoroughfare.
"It makes perfect sense to plant appropriate shade-bearing trees on our streets and this is what we see happening in other local government areas," she said.
"The Peninsula has well below the recommended canopy cover and, at less than 10 per cent coverage, it sits below even Sydney's most poorly performing suburbs."
Street trees can be ordered through the group's website, which can be found via http://penne.ws/riOG0I.
Ms Sunartha urged residents to email Central Coast Council requesting that funds be provided to implement their urban greening objectives at ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au.
SOURCE:
Media release, 10 Jan 2025
Jennifer Wilder GUST