Wanneroo Tree Canopy Advocates

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #6 ✍️ 🌱

Our sixth motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM on the 5th of February is outlined below:

➡️ That the City of Wanneroo commits to a tree canopy target of 30% by 2040 supported by appropriate planning, policy changes, funding, monitoring and annual reporting.

Rationale:
Doctors for the Environment and other experts in this field state that the optimal tree canopy target for housing areas is 30%. A figure that considers the mental and physical health of humans. Considering the heat waves we have suffered in WA these last months, surely everyone appreciates a shady tree?

However, the City’s own Urban Forest Strategy of 2022 stated that the current total percentage of canopy cover for the City was 9.88%, and that specific targets are yet to be confirmed, as future work is required before the City can commit to setting specific targets.

Currently the tree canopy percentage loss since the 9.88% calculation is unquantified due to a lack of data. (It can surely only have decreased since the last data analysis in 2020 due to infill and green fill housing developments.)

30% by 2040 is the target set by leading Tree canopy Advocacy Group WA Tree Canopy Advocates.

30% by 2040 is the target endorsed by WALGA.

A tree canopy less than 30% will have health implications and have a financial cost to all the community. The City of Wanneroo needs to care about trees and shade and the health of its community!

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

(This motion had a small amendment made to wording at the AGM but overall remained the same, details to come soon).

We will provide updates on this motion and the others today, so please keep an eye out for our post!

At the last Ordinary Council Meeting a petition was lodged asking council to remove three verge trees from a corner verge in Alexander Heights.

🛜 11 residents signed the petition. 😞
🛜 There are 26 properties facing the streets involved, these trees are the only verge trees providing shade.
🛜 Alexander Heights canopy coverage (at the last measurement) was just 7%.
🛜 Health experts state 30% is the healthy coverage.

We are sure many residents in the City of Wanneroo would like to have shady trees such as these as part of their streetscape. 🌳💚🌳🌳💚 🌳

Next step is for Officers to provide a report on the merit of the request.

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #5 ✍️ 🌱

Our fifth motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM on the 5th of February is outlined below:

➡️ That the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Wanneroo amends the workforce structure to include a position responsible for coordinating and managing all matters pertaining to the Urban Forest across the organisation.

Rationale:
Large councils may have several work units and many officers that each have a role that impacts on the protection and or management of the urban forest. These officers might be located at different sites, different floors of buildings, limiting interactions, coordinated responses and sharing of lessons learnt.
Opportunities are lost and improvements are delayed by not ensuring there is a leader whose key responsibility is to manage the urban forest.

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

We will provide updates once the motions are a reported on by the City's council staff.

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #4 ✍️ 🌱

Our fourth motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM on the 5th of February is outlined below:

➡️ That the City of Wanneroo investigates potential options to incentivise property owners to retain mature trees on their private property; and to plant shade trees that have the potential to grow to over 8m at maturity on their private property.

Rationale:
Many suburbs in the City of Wanneroo have extremely low tree canopy coverage. This includes mature suburbs built with underground power that have not had a tree canopy established by the Developer, the City or the community.

An example of a mature suburb virtually devoid of trees is Ridgewood, where development started 25 years ago. It’s canopy coverage is just 2%. This absence of substantial tree cover raises concerns about the health and liveability of the area for its residents.

The loss of mature trees due to infill development in the Wanneroo townsite is already significant. Predicting the town's appearance in twenty years is concerning, especially considering the dangerous full-scale clearing of infill development sites. Retaining trees in suitable locations and building around them during development seems a more prudent approach.

Moreover, many tree species forming the city's canopy are now threatened by the Polyphagous Shothole Borer, exacerbating the issue.

Impending reforms allowing granny flat construction without planning approval might escalate tree loss in backyards to accommodate these single-level dwellings.

The Nedlands Scheme Amendment for tree protections on private property which was supported by the community has recently been refused by the State Government as per news releases on the 1st of February, making this situation more urgent.

The growing demand for tree canopy underscores the need for proactive measures. Preserving magnificent mature trees on private lots for the common good should be a priority.
We are not advocating nil development; we advocate for the development with trees. It's also concerning to see new developments featuring artificial turf or pavement without a tree in sight. Addressing shade on private lots requires collective action from councillors, officers, the community, and our state government; we need to work together on all levels.

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

We will provide updates once the motions are a reported on by the City's council staff.

☀️🥵 Days like today remind us just how VITAL trees are in cooling our suburbs - and us - across our suburbs, as well as providing much needed food, habitat and respite to our wildlife.

So we need to get trees in the ground where there aren’t many, or any, stat! 🌱

Did you know you can request a FREE verge tree via the City of Wanneroo website? 🌳 🌳 🌳

Head over here to make a request to be included in the annual winter planting program before April 30th!
➡️ https://www.wanneroo.wa.gov.au/forms/form/157/verge_tree_planting_

🌱 If you don’t have any verge trees, now is a great time to send in your request! And don’t forget to ask your neighbours, as well as family and friends to do the same through their councils!

🌳 If you had one planted by the City in the last year or so, if you can, do give your verge tree a deep water through heat waves.

🌳 🌱 If you already have an established verge tree, why not plant some more in the cooler months if you have space in your garden?

We’d love to see more biodiverse, shady streets, paths and properties everywhere! Do you have any inspirational photos you’d like to share of shady verges?

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #3 ✍️ 🌱

Our third motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM is outlined below:

➡️ That the City provides an annual report that identifies the number of street trees planted in each of the suburbs identified in its Urban Forest Strategy (UFS) as having under 5% canopy cover and the number of trees of the previous year’s planting that failed to survive.

Rationale:
To clearly demonstrate its progress toward meeting the outcome of the City’s UFS to increase canopy coverage in suburbs identified as having under 5% canopy as a priority, it needs to provide a report showing the number of trees planted in each of those suburbs in the previous 12 months. In order to reach a net figure it would be necessary to also record the number of trees that failed to survive. This would also help to identify problem areas, eg areas where loss is due to vandalism, soil deficiency, other causes. It would also provide residents the opportunity to walk/drive around those suburbs and see first hand the work the City is undertaking to raise tree canopy percentages.

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

We will provide updates once the motions are a reported on by the City's council staff.

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #2 ✍️ 🌱

Our second motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM is outlined below:

➡️ That the city urgently develops innovative strategies to mitigate the profound effects of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) infestation as called for by Parks and Leisure Australia (WA).

Rationale:
PSHB has developed into a grave threat to our City’s diverse tree population, wreaking havoc on various tree species, causing extensive damage and often requiring complete removal. Wanneroo has just been added to the list of quarantine zones, yet most people I speak to are unaware of the seriousness of the situation. This is a problem for our green waste and disposal. Public awareness needs to be raised as a priority with clear guidance from the City as to what residents must do to mitigate the threat posed by PSHB.

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

We will provide updates once the motions are a reported on by the City's council staff.

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For info on PSHB visit this link ⬇️

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/borer

🌱 ✍️ MOTION #1 ✍️ 🌱

Our first motion proposed to council during the City of Wanneroo's AGM is outlined below:

➡️ That the City urgently procures up to date tree canopy and heat mapping data.

Rationale:
The data used in the City’s Urban Forest Strategy (UFS) was compiled in 2020 and the maps provided pre-date 2020, being dated 2015/2016. The percentage of canopy provided in the UFS document is most likely inaccurate and therefore unreliable. It is essential that the City uses up to date data to more accurately identify the current canopy situation and reliably inform planning, policy changes, funding and monitoring.

🌳✅ MOTION PASSED BY ELECTORS ✅🌳

We will provide updates once the motions are reported on by the City's council staff.

Screenshots taken from the City of Wanneroo’s Urban Forest Strategy.