Published on Friday, 21 May 2021 at 9:35:25 AM
The Town of East Fremantle has come out on top in a recent grant funding announcement worth $78,000 that will see many new trees planted across seven areas over the next two years.
The 400 new trees are part of a broad range of measures that will enhance the Town’s tree canopy, encourage sustainable and waterwise verge treatments and set new targets to address climate change.
Special recognition must go to Mr Connor Warn, our Waste and Sustainability Officer, for his successful application on behalf of the Town in the WALGA and Water Corporation’s Local Government Urban Canopy Grant for 2021/22.
Despite being the smallest Council to apply, the Town secured the largest amount of grant funding through the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) and Water Corporation’s Local Government Urban Canopy Grant for 2021/22 (link includes a full list of recipients).
Mayor Jim O’Neill was delighted with the news, which has come after the Town suffered two recent incidences where trees were destroyed along Riverside Road in late 2020 and early 2021.
“We are stoked to have scooped the pool with this funding, and it will enable us to make major progress in greening our Town, to offset the urban heat island effect, to cool our open spaces and make them lush and inviting for people as well as for local birds and animals,” he said. “We thank WALGA and Water Corporation for their support of our efforts in this area.”
The new trees are just one of a range of measures the Town is deploying to improve East Fremantle’s environmental sustainability and to address climate change, Mayor O’Neill explained.
The Town has also created a new draft policy and guide for greening verges in the Town and to encourage more street trees. The new guide will assist residents in designing a sustainable verge, with advice on layout and on which species to plant that are suitable for local soils and waterwise.
At the same time, the Town has developed – with input from its Climate Action Reference Group – a set of strategic objectives to assist East Fremantle to combat climate change.
He said the Town was fortunate to have the expertise of the Reference Group, made up of local residents and experts in climate science and environment, and Council is committed to taking practical and immediate action on this important issue.
“Both sets of recommendations are now open to public comment,” Mayor O’Neill said: “and we encourage our community to have their say and to do their part to address these important issues in our Town.”
Submissions on the greening verges draft policy and guidelines and climate change strategic objectives are welcome and the policy, guide and objectives are available to download.
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