Collaborative commitment to Greening our City
Secretaries from eight NSW Government agencies, including the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Planning and Environment, the Department of Education, the Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Treasury, Transport for NSW, NSW Health, and the Department of Customer Service, have made a collaborative commitment (PDF 463 KB) to deliver the Greening our City Premier’s Priority.
As leaders of service delivery agencies with the state’s biggest employer, pledges from these Secretaries represent collective support and buy-in towards the ongoing expansion of tree canopy and green cover in NSW. Each department will contribute to increasing tree canopy in NSW by 2022.
The Secretaries recognise the importance of tree canopy and green cover in NSW and commit to:

Support their staff to plant and register trees by sponsoring tree planting events, providing nursery vouchers as prizes or awards, and undertake other activities identified by their departments.

Record all trees planted by projects led by their departments in Greater Sydney and report on all new plantings every six months.

Promote opportunities for participation in tree planting events, such as National Tree Day.

Identify department-specific projects that can contribute to the expansion of tree canopy and green cover.
Each department will contribute to increasing tree canopy in NSW by 2022 – watch this space to see how we’re progressing.
The Department of Planning and Environment has pledged to:
- Embed improved tree planting and retention settings in the planning system to support expansion of urban tree canopy and green cover.
- Identify Government-owned land that can be used to establish an urban forest across Greater Sydney.
- Support community engagement initiatives for urban greening.
New trees for Western Sydney Hospitals
More than 15,000 new trees have been planted across hospitals in Western Sydney to provide benefits to patients, visitors and staff.
Trees can support mental wellbeing and physical recovery as well as deliver cooler and more tranquil environments for the community to enjoy.
In partnership with Greater Sydney Landcare Network, Landcare NSW and NSW Health, this project is part of the NSW Government's commitment to plant one million trees across Greater Sydney by 2022.