Arabic version: مقيمة في ملفيل تخطط لإزالة صنوبر قبل سياسة الأشجار
According to ABC News, a City of Melville resident plans to pay $10,000 to remove a 20-metre Norfolk pine from her Perth backyard before a proposed council policy could require approval for its removal.
Susan, who asked for her surname to be withheld, said she had initially promised the former owners she would keep the mature tree after buying the property nearly two decades ago. She said she had changed her mind because she did not want a council policy to limit her rights or create possible development complications for future owners.
The City of Melville’s draft tree retention policy would seek to protect medium and large trees on private land where reasonable and practical. It would require approval to remove or damage trees taller than eight metres, with canopies wider than six metres or trunk circumferences above 1.5 metres. The proposal is based on a WA Local Government Association model already adopted by 11 local governments.
Perth has the lowest tree canopy of Australia’s capital cities, according to the report. Tree shade can reduce temperatures by several degrees Celsius during extreme heat, while the state government aims to lift Perth’s canopy cover from 16 per cent to 30 per cent by 2040 and plant one million trees by 2035.
Western Australian Tree Canopy Advocates community engagement lead Ester Cole said the policy did not prevent development, but could prompt consideration of ways to retain mature trees. Planning Minister John Carey said local tree policies could be complex and affect development choices. Proposed residential design code changes that could allow about 50,000 additional Perth properties are expected to be released for public comment later this year.
