The Urban Greening Grant Program provides $3.75 million (ex GST) to support additional tree and understorey planting for the 33 Western Australia local governments located in the Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) regions. Round Three of the program is now open.
Funded by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and delivered collaboratively with WALGA, the program aims to expand tree canopy and vegetative cover in high urban heat areas to help address the impacts of climate change, provide for biodiversity and improve the liveability of neighbourhoods. The grant program has three rounds, with Round One targeted at planting programs in 2023/24 and Round Two and Three targeted at planting programs in 2024/25.
The Round Three Funding Guidelines outline the eligible activities and assessment criteria.
All 33 local governments within the Perth (Boorloo) and Peel (Bindjareb) regions are encouraged to apply.
Following feedback from local governments, Round Three of the Grant Program provides two funding streams:
* Stream One – Greening Suburbs, with supplementary item funding of up to 50% of the total funding request, and
* Stream Two – Greening City Centres, with supplementary item funding of up to 80%, with higher requests considered on merit.
Watering costs are now also included as an eligible supplementary item.
Round One and Round Two successful grant recipients are eligible to apply for funding under Round Three.
Applications close COB Monday 30 September 2024. Local Governments can participate in the Urban Greening Grant Program by completing an application through the SmartyGrants platform. The WALGA excel template can be submitted with information on the detailed budget, species selection, project plan and risk assessment.
For more information, please email Melanie Davies, Urban Forest Facilitator, or call (08) 9213 2065.
Details of the successful Round Two recipients
Round Two applications closed on 28 June 2024.
Round Two awarded a total of $1,197,165 across 14 local governments; Bassendean, Canning, Cottesloe, East Fremantle, Fremantle, Gosnells, Mandurah, Mosman Park, Rockingham, Serpentine Jarrahdale, Stirling, Swan, Vincent and Wanneroo .
Collectively, these local governments will plant over 18,000 trees and 93,000 understorey species in winter 2025. The majority of tree species (87%) are WA native plants, with over 2000 trees each of Firewood banksia (Banksia menziesii), Bull banksia (B. grandis), Sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana), tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) and jarrah (E. marginata). All understorey species are local provenance to the Perth and Peel region.
Plantings include key food and habitat species for endangered black cockatoos.
Planting locations are primarily public open space and streetscapes, including:
* Verges of major arterial roads that connect with facilities such as business districts, shopping centres, playgrounds, sports fields, schools and train stations
* Parks adjacent to high-density residential areas
* Residential verges in high-urban-heat and low-canopy suburbs
* The perimeter of active sports fields
* Around playgrounds in passive recreation reserves, and
* Industrial areas
The majority of plantings will contribute to the development of ecological linkages, with connections to remnant bushland, the Swan Canning River and coastal reserves.
Stay up-to-date with the program at walga.asn.au.