Greening Sydney

The City of Sydney is seeking community feedback on a proposal from local residents to formalise existing community gardening at 54-56 Erskineville Road, Erskineville, into an approved community garden.

The City property is between residential dwellings and is now being maintained by volunteers from the Erskineville Community Garden group. 

The proposal seeks to formalise the current site plan and operations - the proposed management plan for the garden is also available in the library.

The City invites your comments on this community garden proposal before Friday 24 May 2013.

You can comment:

• using our online feedback form (use the garden feedback tab above)
• write to “Erskineville Community Garden Proposal”, Customer Service, GPO Box 1591 Sydney NSW 2001, or
• email sydneyyoursay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

All feedback will be considered, along with the City’s Community Gardens Policy, which includes details on location, safety, design, accessibility, solar access and community support.

A recommendation about this proposal will then be made to the City’s Environment and Heritage Committee. People who comment on the proposal will be advised about the committee meeting date and venue, and have the opportunity to speak there.

To speak to a Council officer about this proposal, please contact Raewyn Broadfoot, Community Gardens Coordinator on 9265 9786 or email rbroadfoot@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

More information about Community Gardens is also available on the Green Villages website.

The Register of Significant Trees identifies and celebrates significant trees in the City. It helps guide the management of significant trees and their protection. 

The City is reviewing the register to update the listing of trees, identify new trees including those nominated by the community and make the register more user-friendly. 

It has recently been updated to include 2,645 of the most important individual trees and groups of trees according to their visual, botanic, historical and social significances as well as their ecological value. We want you to tell us what you think.

We have an FAQ here, and you can view the draft Register here.

Submissions should be made in writing and lodged by 5pm on 5 April 2013, marked ‘Register of Significant Trees’ and addressed to:

Chief Executive Officer
Attention: Karen Sweeney

City of Sydney, GPO Box 1591, Sydney NSW 2001

 Or you can email treepolicies@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

 For more information, contact the Tree Management team on 02 9265 9333 or email treepolicies@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

CITY EXPERT’S TOP 10 TREES

The City of Sydney’s chief aborist, Karen Sweeney, is leading a new initiative to expand the Register of historic and significant trees. Sydneysiders had their chance to nominate their favourite trees late last year. The revised Register will be on exhibition early this year, so stay tuned for more updates.

The register, which currently lists 1,931 significant trees, will be boosted by nominations from residents and visitors for trees located in parks, streets, on private property, government land or in schools, universities and hospitals.

Candidates for the register can be selected for historic, botanic, ecological, social, cultural, commemorative, visual and/or aesthetic values. The tree in your yard or neighbourhood may be more important than you think.

Karen’s Top 10 favourite trees in the City of Sydney area are:

1. The mighty Moreton Bay fig located in the south-western corner of Alexandria Park towers. It’s one of the largest examples of the species in the city - 30 metres high with a 32-metre canopy and a root area spanning seven metres. The tree is one of several figs entrusted to the park’s first caretaker, P. Dawson of Wyndham Street, who accepted the job in 1895 on a barter basis. He was given the sole right to graze six cows on the park between 6pm and 6am, in exchange for watering the newly planted trees twice weekly during dry weather;
2. The Moreton Bay figs on Observatory Hill and Pope John Paul Reserve in Glebe, which are 120 to 130-plus years old – these trees have watched Sydney develop over time;
3. The Grey Ironbark in the grounds of St Johns Church, Glebe Point Road, which is believed to date back to pre-European settlement;
4. Two Dragon’s Blood trees, in the Royal Botanic Gardens and in Cook + Phillip Park. These trees have an unusual appearance, are uncommon in Sydney and are more than 100 years old;
5. A Southern Live Oak in Martin Road, Centennial Park. This tree is about 100 years old, is a very uncommon species, and complements the collection of beautiful neighbouring oaks (of different species) in the park;
6. The row of Brush Box trees in Avenue Road, Glebe. It is believed these trees were planted in the 1920s;
7. A Jacaranda in the Quadrangle at Sydney University – the students look forward to it flowering in November as a signal of the end of the University calendar, heralding the coming summer holidays;
8. A group of Washington Palms in Farrer Place, Sydney (on the corner of Bent and Young streets). These are distinctive and typical of the rainforest and subtropical planting schemes of former large estates throughout the Sydneyarea;
9. A row of Queensland Kauri Pines located in Durdans Avenue, Rosebery. Planted 50-60 years ago, these trees are in a curious location, given their massive size at maturity;
10. The Plane trees located along Bourke Street, Surry Hills (near Cleveland Street). They are some of the larger Plane trees in the city’s streets and their size creates a sense of place, providing shade in summer and allowing the sun in winter.