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A greener district

Planting our Place

The vision of the initiative is to Improve biodiversity, carbon sequestration and allow for community participation in Council’s response to climate change by planting more native trees across our district.   

What’s it all about?

We’ve kicked off a 20-year journey to plant 34 hectares of urban forest across our district—working with mana whenua and our community to bring native birdsong back to our towns, creating lush green spaces for our tamariki, and helping tackle climate change.

This was one of the big calls in our 201-2031 Long-Term Plan.

New Plymouth already leads the country in native tree cover, with nearly 9 per cent of our city cloaked in native trees but we’re aiming even higher. By pushing past 10 per cent coverage and expanding into other urban centres we could become the first area in the country to reach that goal.

We’re not only enhancing biodiversity—we’re also helping meet our emissions targets under the Climate Action Framework, reinforcing our vision to be a Sustainable Lifestyle Capital.

Get Involved Our Planting Projects Te Korowai o Tāne Grants for native plants Further Resources

What we've been doing

Watch the journey so far

Why Planting our Place?

Planting trees is the most cost-effective methods of controlling carbon dioxide.  It is estimated that 34 hectares of planting across the district could remove 26,445 tonnes of CO₂ annually from year 20 onward.

More green space means more opportunities for local food growing and stronger community connections.

Increasing native vegetation cover helps reduce habitat fragmentation and supports native birds, insects, and plants.

We're aiming to grow native vegetation cover from 8.9 per cent to a minimum of 10 per cent, the target set by the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity.

 

How we’ll get there

  • Mapping and prioritising Council land for planting.
  • Creating tailored restoration guides for public and private projects relevant to our community.
  • Supporting community-led planting and care initiatives.
  • Sourcing eco-grown native plants locally.
  • Offering grants through Te Korowai o Tāne.
  • Empowering residents to take part in planting and maintenance.

Page last updated: 01:37pm Tue 19 May 2026

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06 759 6060 enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
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84 Liardet Street
New Plymouth

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