July 2008 Newspoll results indicated that 89% of Australians want more public green space in their local area. Despite this, urban plannning policy does not recognise the benefits of green space and plants with commercial and residential land to building ratios, allowing builders to reduce outdoor space.
Trees, gardens and urban green spaces are essential to quality of life and provide a muiltitude of health and social benefits:
- Parks and greens spaces provide opportunities for physical activity
- Plants and green-life intercept pollutants such as Co 2 (carbon dioxide) N 2O (nitrous oxide) and CH 4 (methane)
- Increased green-life planting can save energy - for example; shade tree planting
- Studies have shown that increased green-life planting in cities helps lower crime rates and aids in the general wellbeing of citizens
- Green-life helps reduce driver tension and road rage
To unveil the benefits of plants and green-life and develop awareness to create greener Australian cities, Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) hosted the Urban GreenScapes Symposium in Canberra in February 2009. Click here for speaker presentations and more information.
