Warrnambool City Council can only afford to plant about a third of the trees it needs to in order to meet ambitious targets set under its 2040 plan, it has been revealed.
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The council needs to spend about $28 million over the next 15 years to meet the target of having 30 per cent tree coverage across the municipality, but it only has $10 million available.
To meet the target, the council will need to lift spending on trees from $682,000 a year to $1.8 million.
Cr Richard Ziegeler said the council acknowledged there was a gap between the expected community level of service and investment that was required to meet the targets.
"It's my fervent desire that council addresses the gaps and makes it smaller, if not eliminate it," he said.
Cr Ziegeler said the community wanted to see more trees planted and more variety, particularly of local indigenous species.
"Every extra tree we put in, although it does require a bit more work on behalf of council, it's another step towards helping to save our planet," he said.
Councillors Max Taylor and Ben Blain said the council was working towards narrowing the gap further down the track.
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Cr Blain said part of the problem came from the big plans set out in the Warrnambool 2040 plan to have 30 per cent tree coverage in the next two decades.
"The cost of plantings is where the biggest gap in investment lies in meeting this target," he said.
Cr Blain said the tree asset management plan, which was unanimously adopted, gave the council a goal to work towards.
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