Hunter schools included in expanded cooler playgrounds program

newy.com.au – Schools in the Hunter will be among more than 150 NSW schools to benefit from an expanded $2.3 million tree planting program aimed at making playgrounds cooler and greener over the next four years.

The State Government will fund the planting of thousands of trees, shrubs and bush tucker gardens through the Cooling the Schools program, which is being extended beyond Greater Sydney to the Illawarra–Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast regions.

The program is designed to help combat urban heating by increasing tree canopy in school grounds, while giving students hands-on lessons about native plants, biodiversity, urban cooling and First Nations cultures.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said planting trees in schools was a practical way to reduce heat and improve local environments.

“Planting trees in schools is one of the simplest and most effective ways combat urban heat to cool our schools, suburbs and improve the health of our communities,” Mr Scully said.

“This program has already made a real difference in hundreds of schools, and we’re pleased to extend it for the first time to schools across the Illawarra–Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast.”

Cooling the Schools, delivered by Greening Australia, has so far planted more than 70,000 native trees and shrubs across 306 schools, benefiting more than 20,000 students. It has also delivered close to 100 cultural education sessions to help students connect with Country while learning about sustainability.

Greening Australia Restoration Operations Hub Lead Nicola Masters said the program combined outdoor learning with environmental action.

“Kids love learning in this program, which is active, outdoors and fun! We aren’t just creating wildlife habitat and cooler schools, we are helping to build ‘GenGreen’,” Ms Masters said.

“We’re teaching kids about taking local action to bring biodiversity back into our city landscapes, and there are a lot of schools, so all those local actions add up to a big impact.”

The program builds on the Greening Our City grants, which have awarded $46.8 million to 164 greening projects across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven to improve climate resilience, air quality and community access to nature.

Schools can check eligibility and register through Greening Australia at greeningaustralia.org.au/projects/cooling-the-schools/.