City sets target to plant 50,000 trees by 2030

Port Aurel has set itself a target of planting 50,000 trees by 2030, starting with the streets that get hottest in summer.

Council mapping shows parts of the city centre run up to four degrees warmer than the city average on hot days. Those streets will be planted first.

Every new street will have to include trees, and residents will be offered free saplings for gardens and school grounds. Last weekend volunteers planted the first 1,200 along the river path.

Trees are the cheapest air conditioning a city can buy.

— Priya Nair, city forester