The 20 Million Trees Programme is an Australian Government commitment under the National Landcare Programme to deliver 20 million trees by 2020 to re-establish green corridors and urban forests, providing habitat to support threatened species and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
Established with a funding commitment of $70 million, the programme has worked cooperatively with local communities since 2014 to undertake projects throughout urban and regional Australia. Native trees and other native plants are being planted on both public and private land, providing community and environmental benefit at the local level. To date over 21,597 participants have volunteered in project activities and 42 participants have completed formal training courses.
At present, projects are in place to re-vegetate over 13,825 hectares and plant over 10 million trees. This is being delivered through a combination of competitive grants for individuals and organisations, and service providers who deliver larger-scale tree planting projects. The programme does not protect existing forests; rather it seeks to revegetate previously cleared areas and to enhance existing vegetation.
