Lake Macquarie to plant 250 trees with $366,850 NSW greening grant

newy.com.au – Lake Macquarie City Council will plant 250 trees across 13 suburbs after securing a $366,850 NSW Government grant announced on Friday 30 January 2026.

The funding, from the NSW Government’s Greening our City program, is aimed at boosting tree canopy in urban heat “hot-spots” and supporting cooler, greener neighbourhoods as housing growth continues in the area.

The Minns Government said the grant would fund increased street tree planting in suburbs identified as vulnerable to urban heat.

Cardiff is earmarked for 100 new trees, while Cameron Park, Argenton and Glendale will each receive between 45 and 50.

Council manager environmental systems Brendan Callander said expanding the street tree network would have multiple benefits beyond shade.

“Targeting high-need suburbs ensures maximum benefit for our community, building resilience and creating cooler, more liveable neighbourhoods,” Callander said, adding that street tree planting would “reduce ambient heat, lower energy costs, enhance biodiversity and extend infrastructure lifespans”.

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said the Lake Macquarie allocation formed part of almost $10 million to be shared across NSW through the program.

“Planting trees and vegetation in the places we live plays a vital role in our health and wellbeing,” Hornery said.

She said she was pleased the funding had been extended to Lake Macquarie to support communities expected to see more homes built “in coming years”.

The release cited research showing increasing tree canopy coverage by as little as 10% can reduce urban temperatures by one degree Celsius, while greener neighbourhoods can lift property values by an average of 3% to 5%.

Council said the planting program would be rolled out across the 13 suburbs in line with its Urban Greening Strategy 2022-2032, which aims to lift canopy coverage and reduce the effects of urban heat.