“Tree-thousand” greening milestone marked in Carlton

The planting marks the delivery of the council’s 2026–27 commitment to add 3000 new trees across the municipality as part of its broader Urban Forest Strategy.

The strategy aims to build Melbourne’s urban forest year on year and double the city’s canopy cover by 2040, creating cooler streets, more shade and stronger biodiversity in increasingly dense neighbourhoods.

Environment portfolio lead Cr Davydd Griffiths said the milestone represented an important investment in Melbourne’s future.

“Three thousand new trees represent thousands of investments in Melbourne’s greener, cooler future,” Cr Griffiths said.

“It is fitting the three-thousandth tree is a native River Sheoak, a fast-growing species that thrives in urban conditions and provides food for birds, helping bring life of all kinds to our city streets.”

The River Sheoak, or Casuarina cunninghamiana, is a native species known for its ability to grow quickly and tolerate tough urban conditions.

The council said the species was well suited to the Faraday St site because it can tolerate the high pH and high salinity subsoil found in the area, as well as the hot conditions and reflected heat common in median strips.

As it grows, the tree will also produce cones that provide food for birds, adding to the ecological value of the street.

The Carlton planting follows a similar milestone last year, when the council marked its 3000th tree of the 2025–26 financial year with a Moreton Bay fig on Batman Avenue.

Earlier this year, councillors also helped plant a flooded gum at Market Street Park in the CBD as part of the same annual tree-planting push.

The council says every new tree contributes to a healthier and more resilient city by cooling streets, supporting biodiversity, improving amenity and helping Melbourne respond to the impacts of climate change. •