Council has notified us that trees may be planted on the verge. We do follow planting guidelines set out by council.

12m from an intersection; 3m from the traffic approach side of an access crossing; 3m from a powerpole or street light.

GUST continues to plant through the kind donations of residents in our community. Generally, residents will make a donation which covers the cost of their tree or whatever they can afford.

We ask that you commit to watering your adopted tree/s for the first three years. Your tree will require at least 2 x 9 litres (2 large watering cans) two -three times per week during summer and once a week during winter.

Yes. However, we ask that you inform your tenant and request they water the tree or you water the tree regularly.

Yes, but we would like you to check that your landlord is agreeable too.

Yes, but we would like you to check that the other apartment owners/Strata in your building are agreeable too.

Yes, but we would like you to check that the management in your village is agreeable too.

We have great follow up service and will help with any queries or problems as they arise. However, once planted, your tree is your responsibility to water, maintain and keep healthy. GUST can replace dead trees for a donation to help cover cost of replacement.

We check on surrounding services visually and do not plant in line with service boxes. Our trees are planted by hand and no heavy machinery is used to plant trees.

Someone from our GUST team will plant your tree. We are happy if you would like to be there to watch or help.

No. GUST continues to plant trees through the kind donations of happy residents and a small annual donation from Bendigo Bank.

We have had Council direct resident’s queries to GUST about how to plant a tree on their verge. Whilst not actively encouraged, we have previously received written consent from Council to continue our tree planting activities on the Peninsula.

The urban cover of the residential portion of the Peninsula is less than 10%. GUST has a target of 40% canopy cover, in line with the NSW State Government’s target for Greater Sydney.

Please contact GUST if you have ANY concerns about a tree planted by GUST. If you witness what you believe to be tree vandalism or illegal tree pruning/removal, please note down any details such as the Arborist company name/license plate number and take photographs. Forward this information to ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au . For more information about tree removal rules and exemptions, see Central Coast DCP and contact Council.

We have found that good deep watering 2 - 3 times per week will make the difference between a tree growing strong and fast or merely surviving. Some smaller trees that have a fast growth rate include Beach Hibiscus, Dwarf flowering gum or Grevillea moonlight.

We have found that good deep watering 2 - 3 times per week will make the difference between a tree growing strong and fast or merely surviving. We have many fast growing trees listed on our medium tree menu including Coastal Banksia, Brush Box, Cheese tree, Paperbark, Eucalyptus/Corymbia species and White Cedar.

One of the specifications we have when choosing trees for our tree menu is that they have been approved for verge planting by Councils. The benefits of a shade-bearing tree on your verge to cooling the surrounding area, beautifying the area and even increasing your property value outweigh any perceived negatives from messy leaf fall. The risk of death from a tree-related incident is 1 in 5 million, meanwhile heat-related deaths account for up to 10% of deaths in hot areas/seasons – so the benefits certainly outweigh any risks.

Street trees provide much needed summer shade along our roads and verges. These are some of the hottest areas of our Peninsula. Street trees help cool our homes. This means less aircon usage and lowers energy consumption and power bills. Street trees make walking a possibility during hot summer months which means less cars on the road and in beach carparks. Street trees have been shown to reduce the local temperature by 5 degrees. Studies have shown that trees help reduce air pollution and traffic noise. Street trees provide food and homes for birds and pollinators and provide important habitat linkage between bushland areas. Research has shown that people who have easy access to trees have better mental health.

GUST is not antidevelopment. GUST is committed to having more trees planted on our beautiful Peninsula. We support sustainable, smart and green urban development. We understand that medium density residences are an important part of addressing the housing crisis, but we believe Planners and Developers have access to enough literature and resources to understand the need for climate resilient and green urban design and deliver this high quality design to our community. This includes provision of sufficient landscaping and shade bearing trees within sustainable designs and prioritises tree retention over new planting.

All trees provide some benefit to wildlife whether it be through habitat or food provision. Native trees in particular are excellent pollinator attractants as they have evolved alongside native wildlife such as birds and bees to offer them exactly what they need.