Students at Tarneit P-9 College in Melbourne’s west are celebrating more shade and a cooler school thanks to more trees planted earlier today.

The 14 advanced trees will soon be joined by more than 30,000 trees being planted right across the western suburbs this spring and in autumn 2022, including at nine other schools in the Wyndham Local Government Area.

It’s part of the first phase of the Victorian Government’s More Trees for a Cooler Greener West initiative – a $5 million commitment to plant 500,000 trees across the western suburbs.

The Victorian Government provided Wyndham City Council with $250,000 to plant more than 13,000 trees in parks and reserves, and in local streets around schools including at Mossfiel Primary School, Our Lady of the Southern Cross Primary School, Davis Creek Primary School, Manorvale Primary School and more.

Along with providing much needed shade and cooler areas for community members to enjoy, the new trees will help tackle climate change, helping to halve our emissions by 2030 as we work towards net-zero emissions by 2050. They will also help us realise the goals of Plan Melbourne 2017 to 2050 by greening and cooling our city.

For details about projects funded in the first phase visit:  environment.vic.gov.au/more-trees-for-a-cooler-greener-west

Quotes attributable to Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly

“Planting trees at our schools, in our local streets and in our parks will create more shade and green spaces in the western suburbs – for a cooler greener west.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“These trees, together with our investment in suburban parks, will help Victoria tackle climate change and support our goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.”

“We’re planting the right trees in the right places to give families more places to enjoy nature in the western suburbs.”

“As the western suburbs continue to grow, we’re making sure there are greener streets and open spaces for everyone to enjoy.”