Greening the West: Plan sows seeds for better future

A greener west is on the cards following the release of a new strategic plan.

Greening the West, launched with a tree-planting at Footscray’s Whitten Oval, brings together two years of work by nine councils, three water businesses and 20 community and stakeholder groups. It pinpoints eight goals to improve local health and liveability, with an emphasis on more trees and vegetation.

Maribyrnong council chief executive Vince Haining said: “Creating more open spaces and planting trees across the west will deliver great benefits to the people of the western suburbs.”

Pilot projects include a West Yarraville street tree replacement program and JBS abattoir planting project in Brooklyn. Further work is under way on a Braybrook Community Garden expansion and Footscray Primary School eco-masterplan.

City West Water is supplying water to the projects.