A South West shire is growing its canopy thanks to urban tree funding project

Relaxing in the shade of a tree is one of life’s simple pleasures and thanks to new funding, one South West community’s canopy is expected to get significantly denser.

The Waroona Shire Council welcomed a new grant from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation working with the WA Local Government Association to develop a new urban canopy within the shire.

As part of WALGA’s Urban Greening Program, the council have secured $53,200 to purchase mature trees that will be planted around the Waroona townsite.

The council is one of 12 local governments to be selected in Round one of the program running from Joondalup to Waroona.

WALGA estimate more than 9400 trees and 29,000 shrubs are likely to be planted across WA in the first round of this project.

The trees, all native to WA, will be planted this winter. More than half will be the preferred plant food for endangered black cockatoos.

The council intends to fill in the canopy gaps prevalent in the urban streetscape with plans to add trees to the town oval, shopping precinct, schools, and retirement village.

Once the planning in Waroona is complete, the council will instigate future funding to undertake similar projects in Hamel and Preston Beach.