Back in August, the Greater Bank announced, to celebrate 75 years in the community, that it would plant 75,000 across regional New South Wales.
Well, the spades were out in force last week when the Newcastle planting program was launched at King Edward Park.
The event saw the first of 4000 trees earmarked for the site planted by community members, Greater Bank employees, Lord Mayor of Newcastle Nuatali Nelmes and Greater Bank CEO Scott Morgan.
The planting will enhance a protected and endangered ecological community known as Themeda grassland and also re-establish habitat for local wildlife, including birds, small marsupials, insects and reptiles.
“Thanks to support from Greater Bank, we’ve been able to significantly add to our bushland, watercourse, street and park tree planting programs to ensure our community continues to benefit from our urban forest,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The greening of our urban landscape has a positive impact for Newcastle and our community. Enhancing our natural areas, planting in streets and parks create spaces where people can relax and be more active.
“Green spaces are cooler and improve liveability while providing environmental improvements such as air quality, protecting and filtering our water, and also providing natural habitat, food and shelter for native wildlife.”
Over the coming weeks and months, the program will also see plantings undertaken at Bull and Tourle Street Reserve at Mayfield West, Heaton Park and Maclure Reserve, Jesmond, and Wallsend Park and Ironbark Creek inWallsend.
“It’s important for us, that in celebrating the milestone, we give back to a community that has given us so much and in doing so contribute to a cause that is important to our customers,” Mr Morgan said.
“The trees will not only provide these communities with an ongoing legacy to mark this milestone, but as they grow, they will provide an enduring symbol of our commitment to social responsibility and sustained support of local communities.”
Once completed, the project will have a significant impact on local environments. Beyond the flora regeneration of the respective sites across regional NSW, collectively, the 75,000 trees will have the capacity to absorb 1,650,000kgs of carbon dioxide each year. That offsets 97 people per year and emissions from 600 cars.
