LABOR COUNCILLORS PLEDGE TO INCREASE CITY'S URBAN FOREST THROUGH COMMITMENT TO MORE TREE PLANTING

Newcastle Labor Councillors have committed to deliver $4.5 million for new street and park trees over the next three years, to further expand the City's urban canopy and address urban heat island impacts. 

Newcastle Labor Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said that today's commitment would see the City's annual budget for tree planting lift significantly to $1.5 million annually under a re-elected Labor majority Council. 

“Our tree planting programs have been incredibly successful. We have worked closely with the community to plant new trees in suburbs across the city”.

“Our commitment today will extend on that success and see a significant increase to the City’s current yearly tree-planting investment, which is wonderful for the health and wellbeing of our community and great for the environment and sustainability,” said the Lord Mayor.

“By increasing our urban canopy we will reduce the urban heat island effect, absorb and store more carbon to help further drive down the City's emissions, provide more food and shelter for wildlife, assist to purify the City's air and water, and improve the health and well-being of our residents, while making our streets and parks more beautiful and liveable for all.”

“Our commitment will see an increase of Council’s projected tree budget by $1.5 million over the next three years alone.”

Newcastle Labor Campaign Spokesperson, Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, said that while Labor is committed to expanding the City's urban forest, the Newcastle Independents Party have recently announced a budget cut to the City's tree planting as a part of their campaign.

"Incredibly, John Church and the Newcastle Independents Party recently announced $1 million for tree planting if elected, despite the City already investing $1.1 million in new trees across the City in the current 2021/22 financial year," said the Deputy Lord Mayor. 

"I don't think Novocastrians will accept John Church’s plan to cut our City's annual tree budget by $100,000 a year, and no doubt many in our community would be dismayed and appalled by an announcement which will lead to less trees being planted throughout our city streets and parks.”

“John Church has voted against every Council budget and all the projects they contain, but now we see he hasn’t even read the current budget and how much Council is already spending on trees”

"The contrast is clear: Newcastle Labor's commitment will see more trees planted across our City and suburbs, while the Newcastle Independents Party plan to cut our annual tree delivery budget.”