Sydney is becoming more urbanised. Greening the city and its suburbs and promoting biodiversity are important to creating a sustainable city for the future.
Greener streets with more trees and shrubs will:
- help keep your suburb cool
- let you breathe easier with cleaner air
- connect you with nature
- help slow and filter local flooding
- increase property values
- attract native birds, bees and butterflies
- connect to other green areas and create corridors for our wildlife
- help you feel calmer, happier and healthier.
Connect with your local community
You can work with your neighbours or as community to make your suburb richer in nature by:
- removing weeds
- restoring local bushland
- watering your street trees in summer and keeping them mulched to keep the moisture and weeds at bay
- joining your local community garden or create one
- talking to your neighbours and local council about planting trees or creating a verge garden
- getting involved in the Australian Museum’s Streamwatch, Waterbug Watch or other citizen science programs for community groups to monitor water quality and the health of local waterways.
Green your streets
As well as looking after your street trees, you can add greenery to your street by planting a verge garden.
Verge gardens are also a great way to provide habitat for native animals like bees and butterflies.
If you want to plant out your verge:
- find out whether your local council supports planting out street verges
- talk to your neighbours and get them involved
- make sure there’s enough space to open car doors and position bins – council guidelines will provide details
- consider the space, what to plant and its position – some councils discourage growing edible plants on verges
- choose plants that don’t grow higher than 1 metre – native plants are ideal but avoid spiky plants
- contact Dial Before You Dig to check whether there are any utilities under the verge.