Published on Wednesday, 24 July 2024 at 4:31:52 PM
Mature trees on private property, throughout the City of Nedlands, will now receive greater protection with a new approach to encourage increased canopy and shade, and to enhance the City’s leafy neighbourhood character.
At the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 23 July, Council adopted a new Tree Retention Policy (Local Planning Policy 3.3).
The Policy enables landowners to prune their trees for maintenance purposes without City approval, but approval will be needed to remove trees identified as ‘regulated’ under the new Policy.
‘Regulated’ trees’ will include those with a canopy diameter of 6 metres or greater, or a trunk circumference of 1.5 metres, or standing 8-metres high or taller.
If an arborist’s report is required, it would be paid for by the landowner.
Deputy Mayor, Kerry Smyth, said the Policy adoption aligns with Council’s commitment to preserve the City’s mature trees and support urban greening.
“Previously, our City was losing substantial mature, shade-bearing trees because private land could be cleared prior to lodging a development application,” Deputy Mayor Smyth said.
“This new approach is about encouraging and facilitating retention of our City’s mature trees on private land to maintain and increase our City’s shady green canopy,” she said.
Removing mature trees without City approval could result in fines under the Planning and Development Act 2005.
“Our Council is very clear in acknowledging the contribution our mature trees offer to our City’s streetscape and environmental values, and the need to ensure these mature trees are protected for the future,” Deputy Mayor Smyth said.
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