By Olivia Condous
Melton has been chosen as one of six local council areas to gain a share of 180,000 trees as part of a government initiative to help provide more greenery and shade for residents in the western suburbs.
The More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West program has already planted 30,000 trees since last spring and will provide the local council areas of Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham with even more trees.
The government will fund the program with $5 million to plant both mature and young trees outside schools, along trails, in parks and on residential streets.
City of Melton mayor Goran Kesic thanked the volunteers who had helped to plant the trees so far and the state government for choosing Melton for the program.
“We were pleased to convert funding from the state government’s program into trees in the ground and add to our green canopy in the west,” Mayor Kesic said.
Councillors joined with students from Kurunjang Secondary College last week to plant 272 trees at Little Blind Creek Reserve in Kurunjang and Toolern Creek Regional Park in Cobblebank.
“Planting trees is a great example of forward planning. Our children and grandchildren will get to enjoy the benefits of this initiative,” Mayor Kesic said.
The government program comes after reports showed the western suburbs had the lowest percentage of urban tree cover in Melbourne at 5.5 per cent, compared to 17.4 per cent in the south eastern suburbs and 25.9 per cent in the eastern suburbs.
Local residents are encouraged to be involved and volunteer with the program with planting programs run by the council, Greater Western Water, Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and Victoria University.
The government is supporting Aboriginal self-determination and planting on Country with grants for the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation as part of the program.
Energy, environment and climate change minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the program was designed to create a cooler and shadier west.
“Together with our investment in parks, we’re boosting liveability, improving air quality and tackling climate change to halve emissions by 2030.”
