Urban development has reduced the urban forest and tree canopy within our City, as buildings and infrastructure replace green spaces that were once shaded by mature trees. While this historic approach was important to increase the housing supply and create new facilities for our growing community, today much of the remaining tree cover is found along creeks and rivers, with mainly scattered trees throughout the rest of the City.

As the City grows, a resilient urban forest is crucial for mitigating heat waves, combating climate change, supporting biodiversity and enhancing community well-being. Beyond public spaces, private backyards also contribute to the urban forest, offering residents an important role in greening efforts.

The draft plan aligns with our Community Strategic Plan, CBCity 2036, and Council’s Local Strategic Planning Statement, Connective City 2036. It also aligns with the priorities and vision of a number of local and state level documents, ensuring that local plans connect with NSW's regional and district priorities.

What you've told us

Our community values Canterbury-Bankstown’s natural environment, parks and open spaces. They also recognise the need for increased tree canopy and better urban forest management to enhance liveability and environmental benefits.

During engagement for the Community Strategic Plan (CBCity 2036), residents expressed a desire for a clean, green and sustainable City with healthy waterways and ample shade. In surveys for the Local Strategic Planning Statement (Connective City 2036), 61% of participants cited access to parks and green spaces as a key factor in choosing where to live.

Recent consultations for the Urban Bushland and Biodiversity Strategic Plan reinforced the community’s desire to see expanded tree canopy, increased Council investment in tree planting and stronger engagement with local environmental groups to support a clean and green City.

Increased tree cover and quality green spaces improve liveability and resilience of the community to heatwave events. Urban forests offer a multitude of benefits to people, the environment and local economies, including:

• Temperature moderation
• Storage of atmospheric carbon
• Air purification
• Stormwater management
• Improved building energy efficiency
• Increased property values
• Habitat creation and species survival
• Providing shade and shelter
• Reduced occurrences of obesity, hypertension and heart conditions
• Reduced stress
• Improved cognitive function and mental health
• Maintaining and supporting wildlife
• Contributing to the aesthetic of the urban environment, including mitigating the impacts of built form in dense areas.

The draft plan outlines an evidence-based approach to identifying an achievable canopy cover of 25% by 2065 across the City through the efforts of Council and private landowners.

While 25% canopy cover is less than the aspirational targets outlined in the Local Strategic Planning Statement (Connective City 2036), further analysis completed for the Urban Forest Strategic Plan has shown that 25% is the maximum achievable canopy cover for our City without converting existing sportsfields and community infrastructure into plantable space or relying on public land outside of Council’s control.

This target has also considered the feasibility of canopy targets for private land to ensure residents are not required to achieve unrealistic canopy requirements. This increase of 8.74% canopy equates to 9.68 square kilometres, which is enough to cover nearly 1,300 soccer fields.

Council will also collaborate with other public authorities with landholdings in the City, including Crown Lands not controlled by Council, Transport for New South Wales, Sydney Water and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to further increase canopy cover throughout the City.