Students, Mayor and MP in tree planting

Published on 10 July 2020

Local students recently joined forces with Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM, the Member for Londonderry Prue Car MP and Blacktown City Councillor Brad Bunting at the start of a massive tree planting operation in Stockland’s Elara development in Marsden Park.

The students from St Luke's and Marsden Park Public, schools were called on to plant the first of an estimated 941,800 trees and plants in the $20 million parklands and riparian corridors that feature throughout the Elara development.

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale said, “Blacktown City has the greatest area of open space of any Council area in the Sydney metropolitan region with 34 square kilometres of parks, reserves and playing fields.

“These 24 hectares of parklands in the Elara estate set the benchmark for residential development with a lake, 7 kilometres of paths and trails, watercourses planted with native trees, grasses and bushland, exercise hubs and play areas for all the community to share.”

Prue Car said, “This will be a beautiful place for families to walk, run and cycle. Well done Blacktown City Council and Stockland for creating a wonderful natural environment.”

Stockland Eleara project director Patrick Noble said the project was a commitment not only to residents but also to the environment and wildlife.

"Creating spaces for our residents to get out and explore nature and open spaces is not only important to the lifestyle and wellbeing of our residents but also fosters pockets of biodiversity in Greater Sydney."

The parklands are due to be fully completed in early 2021 and will be nearly the same size as Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens.

Mayor Tony Bleasdale, Councillor Brad Bunting, Craig Cosier – Stockland Development Manager, Prue Car MP, Patrick Noble – Stockland Project Director, with students Katelina Shah, Mervin Patel and Muhammad Faizan.