Taller tree targets and councils funded in metro greening plan
The state government’s Urban Greening Strategy, released today, includes a plan to grow tree canopy and give $1.5 million to council greening projects.
The state government’s Urban Greening Strategy, released today, commits to tree canopy targets and gives $1.5 million to councils to achieve a cooler, more liveable city.
The strategy sets a goal of reaching 30 per cent tree canopy cover by 2055.
Tree canopy is important for cooling, improving local microclimates, slowing wind, supporting biodiversity and reducing air pollution and 30 per cent is a widely accepted target.
Green Adelaide Board Chair Chris Daniels said the 2055 target “balances ambition with the time needed for trees to grow and thrive”.
“Faster progress is possible with strong investment and policy support. We’ll keep exploring ways to speed up greening while ensuring long-term success for Adelaide’s urban forest,” he said.
Climate, Environment and Water Minister Susan Close said launching the strategy is “an important step” towards a greener future.
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“These measures, shaped through extensive consultation, set bold targets that empower everyone to play their part in greening our city and driving meaningful action,” Close said.
“Urban greening isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about keeping our city cool, supporting biodiversity, and improving the health and wellbeing of our communities, as well as maximising liveability and economic benefits.”
Some of the barriers to growing tree canopy outlined in the strategy are infrastructure development leading to tree removal, and infrastructure requirements restricting planting under powerlines.
In some of the before and after images provided with the plans, Stobie poles are removed, but Stobie poles are not specifically mentioned in the report.
InDaily asked the state government how Stobie poles and the power network could change under the plans.
A government spokesperson said “the strategy highlights the need for innovative solutions to maximise urban greening where space is highly contested”.
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“This includes the potential undergrounding of powerlines and aerial bundled cabling which would allow for planting of trees which grow taller and provide more canopy,” the spokesperson said.
“Legislative barriers currently limit the types of trees, and/or require regular pruning of trees, which are planted in the vicinity of overhead powerlines, to reduce risks of fire or interruptions to supply.
“It is also important to investigate and find diverse new tree species which fit the current size requirements to grow under powerlines.”
The strategy also specifies it will reduce urban heat and improve plant species diversity, but no numerical targets for these areas have been set.
The report says further investigation is needed to establish measurable goals because existing international benchmarks may not apply to Adelaide.
The Urban Greening Strategy aligns with the government’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan that was released earlier this week, establishing standards for urban heat and plant diversity.
State Planning Commission chair Craig Holden said green spaces and tree canopy are “essential” to create liveable, sustainable communities as Adelaide expands housing.
Housing on subdivided properties – known as infill housing – is one of the key challenges for urban greening because it creates impermeable surfaces through roof-to-roof connections which creates a “heat island”. It also limits available space for planting and can hinder stormwater management.
According to the strategy, the Planning and Design Code will be improved and supporting tools will be created to make it easier for developers to achieve greening in infill, master-planned and commercial developments.
Before and after of how residential infill can be improved. This picture: Green Adelaide
The strategy is a first-of-its-kind metropolitan-wide piece of work and collaborates with local councils to fund climate projects through a Cooler, Greener, Wilder grants program.
The grants have been running for three years, offering up to $500,000 per project to 17 councils across metropolitan Adelaide and encouraging councils to match contributions.
In 2025, $1.5 million has been allocated to Tea Tree Gully, Onkaparinga, Salisbury, Charles Sturt, Unley and Mitcham councils.
Green Adelaide Board Chair Chris Daniels said by joining local and state government the plan will enhance biodiversity and “track ongoing progress to create a more resilient and liveable city”.
“The grants will also support the delivery of more biodiversity-sensitive design features such as rain gardens as part of the City of Charles Sturt’s Renown Park Living Streets project, the installation of more water inlets to support tree growth across the City of Unley, as well as plantings around the Pasadena Community Centre plus stormwater, works by the City of Mitcham,” he said.
