Sydney is about to get a whole lot more greener following a $3.25 million investment from the NSW Government into new and improved parks, community gardens, wetlands, active transport and trails.

The Metropolitan Greenspace program funding will benefit more than 30,000 people spread across eight metropolitan council areas with the Places to Roam program to build or expand five community gardens.

Encouraging vibrant and diverse communities means investing in places where people can gather and biodiversity is encouraged.

With a range of projects which, once complete, will encourage residents to get out into their communities, be active and enjoy the great outdoors. This funding will support the NSW Government’s planning reforms to unlock more homes with a network of open spaces that will be significant to their region.

The selected projects include:

• Blacktown City Council - $446,217 for a Church Street Cycleway
• Camden Council - $518,650 for a Foothills Bike Park
• Campbelltown City Council - $996,133 for the Heart of Scenic Hills Varroville Reserve, Mimosa Street Parklet and Seventh Street Parklet
• Georges River Council - $110,000 for Peakhurst Park Adventure Play Space
• Hornsby Shire Council - $150,000 for North Epping Fitness Trail
• Inner West Council - $639,000 for Gumbramorra Swamp Wetlands
• City of Parramatta - $140,000 for a Cultural Heritage Plan for the Parramatta River

Housing is the single largest cost of living concern issue people in NSW are facing.

Over the past 12 months, the NSW Government has announced a range of planning reforms aimed at delivering more homes faster.

These include Transport Oriented Development rezoning to deliver homes close to transport jobs and services, a Pattern Book, new housing targets, council league tables to monitor and measure councils’ performance, and allowing dual for dual occupancies and semi-detached dwellings in 124 local government areas across NSW.

This funding will support the NSW Government’s planning reforms as we unlock more homes and deliver supporting community infrastructure.

Grants were made available to councils for projects that improve community access for recreation and relaxation.

The Metropolitan Greenspace program is the longest-running open space grants initiative in NSW. It has provided over $56 million to metropolitan and central coast councils since 1990 with more than 680 new or upgraded projects completed.

Places to Roam

This funding is in addition to $250,0000 in state funding that has been allocated to five other Greater Sydney councils as part of the Places to Roam Community Gardens program.

The successful round three recipients include Cumberland City Council, Fairfield City Council, Lane Cove Council, Waverley Council and Wollondilly Shire Council.

They have been given up to $75,000 for community gardens, bush care schemes and waterway enhancements to support health and wellbeing in areas with significant housing growth.

The funding for these spaces will support increased housing supply will be available to councils from June so plants and vegetables will soon spring up in Bonnyrigg, Lidcombe, Lane Cove North, Menangle, and Waverley.

Places to Roam is part of the NSW Government’s $50 million Open Spaces program which aims to deliver high-quality open spaces for outdoor recreation including parks, walkways and community gardens.

A total of $17.14 million in funding has now been allocated through two separate grant streams with the Regional Trails Program and Community Gardens Program.

The Community Gardens Program has seen fifteen grants totalling $769, 560 awarded over the last three rounds.  Cumberland City Council received $75,000 for its Pemulwuy Community Garden project. The garden is designed to encourage people to grow and share local food, make new friends and share skills, whilst improving community health and wellbeing.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

"Building communities means making sure people have a place to live, gather and play."

"The Government has introduced extensive planning reforms to deliver more homes and this funding will go a long way to make sure those homes are supported by green and open spaces."

"It’s vital that we keep investing in amenity that supports increased housing supply and plans for not just tomorrow but what communities will look like five, ten and twenty years into the future."

"Providing a diversity of housing is important and continued investment in more green public spaces is also needed so urban communities can thrive.”