Published on Wednesday, 20 March 2024 at 9:40:00 AM

The City of Vincent will be advocating to the State Government to provide greater protection of trees on private land across the inner-city suburbs.

Perth has the lowest tree canopy coverage of all Australian capital cities and continues to lose mature trees as infill development increases and the Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) continues to spread.

Vincent Mayor Alison Xamon received support for a notice of motion on the issue at this week’s council meeting.

The motion requests the City of Vincent advocate to the Western Australian Planning Commission and Minister for Planning Hon. John Carey MLA for greater legal protection of trees on private land.

Vincent will also prioritise the progress of planning controls to ensure greater protection of trees and canopy provision on private land.

“Our inner-city suburbs, and the rest of WA, are literally feeling the heat from very low canopy cover and the increased loss of trees on private land,” said Ms Xamon.

“Urban canopy contributes significantly towards local biodiversity, visual amenity, community wellbeing and reduces the impact of urban heat island effect. It is also an important contribution to addressing the impacts of climate change.

“This is a shared responsibility across State and Local Governments, landowners, the development industry and community so we all need to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes and ensure we remove unnecessary wholesale clearing of development sites.”

The State Government has updated the Residential Design Codes (R Codes) to recognise that retaining trees on private land is a priority for retaining and growing urban canopy.

However, Ms Xamon said the State Government’s planning framework did not require development approval for the removal of trees and did not include a key protection that would assist in mature tree retention.

“This is contributing significantly to the decline of canopy cover within our suburbs and shows that the current system is failing,” she said.

“Local governments are facing increased challenges in retaining trees as they tackle the need to accommodate increasing housing density and the infestation of the PSHB.

“The Council will be continuing to plant hundreds of trees on public verges, parks and carparks, as part of our annual winter planting season, and will be planning for more replacement trees in areas impacted by the PSHB.

“This will ensure that the community reaps the social, economic, health and environmental benefits of having leafy and shady neighbourhoods and improved local biodiversity but this is not where the bulk of tree canopy lies.”

Vincent’s Sustainable Environment Strategy 2019-2024 includes targets such as achieving 23 per cent canopy cover on public land and 7.5 per cent canopy cover on privately owned land by 2023.

According to latest data from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, Vincent exceeded its canopy cover target on private land, as it reached 9 per cent in 2020.

Some neighbouring local governments have tried to address the issue of protecting trees on private land through scheme amendments, planning policies and significant tree registers.

The WA Local Government Association has also released a model local planning policy to standardise the approach for local governments that want to release their own controls.

Vincent has several existing policies and strategies aimed at increasing and retaining trees such as:

• Strategic Community Plan 2022-2032: The City’s Strategic Community Plan (SCP) establishes the community’s vision for our future through the priority areas – Enhanced Environment, Accessible City, Connected and Healthy Community, Thriving Places, Sensitive, Design, Innovative and Accountable. The Enhanced Environment priority area seeks to protect and enhance the natural environment, making best use of our natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations.
• Sustainable Environment Strategy 2019-2024: The strategy sets out operational and community targets across five focus areas: energy, transport, waste, water, and urban greening and biodiversity. It includes targets such as achieving 23 per cent canopy cover on public land and 7.5 per cent canopy cover on privately owned land by 2023.
• Local Planning Scheme No.2 and Trees of Significance Inventory: Development approval is required under LPS2 for the removal of trees listed on the Trees of Significance Inventory. The inventory is a document that recognises significant trees and establishes long-term plans for its conservation, enhancement and maintenance. It currently contains mature trees on streets, verges, Vincent’s reserves and carparks, and private property.
• Policy No. 7.6.3 – Trees of Significance: Supporting LPS2 and the inventory, this policy sets out criteria for the nomination of significant trees.
• Policy No. 7.1.1 – Built Form: The policy amends development standards contained in the R Codes and provides standards that apply for commercial developments. These standards include the provision of 12 per cent of site area as deep soil areas, 3 per cent as planting areas and 30 per cent as tree canopy for new residential developments. These are over and above the standards of the R Codes.
• GreenTrack initiative: The City provides a free consultation for proponents with a sustainability expert from its Design Review Panel to discuss how a property owner could retain mature trees and landscaping as part of a sustainable home development application.

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