The City of Onkaparinga has set new tree canopy and green cover targets, with clear and measurable goals for both council land and citywide until 2055.
The new targets – approved by Council at its 17 March meeting – realign the council’s goals with the state government’s, which aims for 30 per cent tree canopy cover across metropolitan Adelaide by 2055.
The new targets coincided with the announcement that the City of Onkaparinga has been named a Tree City of the World for the second year running – one of only 12 council areas across Australia listed in the prestigious global network.
The City of Onkaparinga’s new targets include:
- 40 per cent green cover (trees, vegetation, grass) and 30 per cent tree canopy cover (trees above 3m) citywide by 2055
- 30 per cent tree canopy cover on urban council land by 2055 – prioritising suburbs that currently have less than 10 per cent canopy cover
- increasing the council’s existing target of planting 100,000 trees by 2037 – a goal set in 2017 – to 150,000 trees by 2037 (66,000 planted as of 2025).
City of Onkaparinga Mayor Moira Were said the ambitious new targets ensured the council aligned with those set by the state government in 2025, while also reflecting Onkaparinga’s climate, biodiversity and land-ownership challenges.
“Trees and vegetation make our suburbs more liveable, healthier and cooler, and they benefit biodiversity, air and water quality, and community health and wellbeing,” she said.
“We also know our community overwhelmingly cherishes trees – 90 per cent of respondents to our 2024 community survey said they support planting of appropriate trees in streets, with 95 per cent supporting planting in parks and reserves.
“That’s why it’s vital we have ambitious and measurable targets with a clear end goal, helping ensure we have a cooler and greener city.”
Included in the new citywide targets are focuses on expanding tree and understory planting using climate-ready, locally appropriate native species; improving habitat connectivity between reserves and along waterways and streetscapes; and embedding climate adaptation and biodiversity resilience principles into future open space, planting, and asset management plans.
The council will track its progress via performance measures focusing on planting quality, equity and diversity; periodic tree mapping with Green Adelaide; and continuing to publish tree-planting numbers in its annual report and website. A report will also be prepared for August’s Council meeting on opportunities to strengthen urban greening and biodiversity outcomes across reserves and natural areas.
Mayor Were said the new targets would bolster the already amazing work the council was doing to support canopy, greening and biodiversity on council land, including via its Australian Government-funded Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Project, Adopt a Tree program and planting for wildlife.
“It’s important to emphasise that we can’t achieve these targets alone,” she said.
“Private land makes up nearly 3-quarters of Onkaparinga, so those trees that you plant and maintain on your property really do make a difference.
“We support these efforts on private land through initiatives such as our annual Community Tree Giveaway, sustainability rebates, Urban Verge Planting Guide and workshops.
“We’re also continuing to advocate for stronger protections for trees in development, and better greening outcomes in new housing areas.”