Green Connections: Is Your Street Ready for 2027?

Did you know that during a hot South Australian summer, a street with more tree canopy can be up to 5°C cooler than one without it?

As residents of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, we all know how punishing the summer heat can be. But the solution isn't just relying on air conditioning, it’s right outside our front doors.

The Stakes: Cooling Our Suburbs, Saving Our Wildlife

Right now, our urban spaces are facing the "Urban Heat Island" effect, meaning concrete and roads trap heat, making our neighbourhoods hotter and less liveable. At the same time, local wildlife like the superb fairywren and native butterflies are losing the habitats they need to survive.

We can change this, street by street. In 2026, 100 Council vouchers were offered through the Green Connections Pilot program, with 67 residents actively redeeming them to plant climate-resilient native shade trees and habitat packs. In Shirley Avenue, Felixstow, more than 10 households banded together to transform their local easement, verges, and private gardens. Because they teamed up, they received hands-on support from the NPSP Green Connector volunteers, who hosted street-level meetings to map out designs, share planting techniques, and pass on vital summer survival tips.

What’s New for 2027

Council has listened to feedback from the pilot pioneers and over 800 past greening participants. Starting in 2027, there will be a shift from vouchers that require visits to nurseries outside the Council area, to curated Ecosystem Packs collected at locally hosted workshops. These packs will provide the perfect starter kit, including local native plants, and mulch or fertiliser, tailored specifically for verges, butterfly gardens, creeks, or small pot spaces. Plus, if three or more households on a street register, a Green Connector volunteer will personally help design your very own cooler, greener micro-forest.

Take Action Today

The 2026 pilot program filled up fast. Don’t let your street miss out on a cooler summer, greener verges, and returning wildlife.

This program is open to all residents across the Council area. While priority is given to cooling our hottest urban spaces and increasing canopy where it’s needed, every single garden counts. Even in our greenest, highest-canopy neighbourhoods, planting these packs creates the vital stepping stones our native birds and pollinators need to move safely through the city.

Please note: Packs are limited for 2027. To maximise the program's impact, packs will first be allocated to households in identified urban heat islands and low-canopy areas. All remaining packs will then be distributed to residents across the rest of the Council area on a first-in, best-dressed basis. Registering early is your best chance to secure a spot.

Get on the front foot for 2027. Visit Green Connections - Plant Native Gardens and Verges now to register your interest, join the priority waitlist, and find out how to get your neighbours involved.