Community Street Tree Planting Program
Council’s Community Street Tree Planting Program provides residents with an opportunity to request via application, a street tree to be planted on Council land in front of their property.
The program sees residents take ownership of a tree by watering and caring for it during the establishment stage with the assistance of a tree care pack provided by Council.
Following an expressions of interests (EOI) stage, Council's arborists assess the location of each requested site to evaluate any suitable areas for planting. If there’s a location deemed suitable, Council staff will choose the best species to be planted based on various criteria such as trees in the nearby area. Not all EOIs are guaranteed a tree. Successful applications will be dependent on the site suitability after the assessment and the availability of trees.
Council arborists will assess each requested location site to determine the suitability and the best species to be planted based on a range of criteria including the existing trees in the nearby area and powerlines and other potential intrusions that may be present.
Species that have been previously planted as part of the program include Bottlebrush, Crepe Myrtle, Evergreen Ash, Water Gum, Weeping Lilly Pilly, Brush Box, Flowering Gum, Tuckeroo, Bottletree, Cheese Tree, Jacaranda, Prairie Crabapple, Chinse Pistache, Callery Peara and Brazilian Ironwood.
The assessment process considers the future growth of the tree so as not to affect footpaths, kerbs or gutters. Applications won’t be deemed successful if a tree cannot safely grow without causing damages.
The most suitable location for the tree will be determined by Council staff.
Trees can be planted under powerlines in some cases. Appropriate tree species will be selected so as not to interfere with the powerlines.
As part of the site assessment, underground services will be located and identified. This allows Council staff to identify a suitable location that will not interfere with underground services on site.
Urban trees play a vital role in creating healthy cities and suburbs. They provide shade and shelter, improve air quality, absorb rainfall, create visually appealing spaces and support wildlife. Access to urban greening and trees has also been shown to have important health benefits, such as reducing stress, and improving cognitive function and mental health.
Community Street Tree Planting Program is part of Council's commitment to delivering environmentally driven projects and improving green spaces that contribute to local character, amenity and urban cooling.
In February 2021, Council planted 136 trees in the first round of the program. This is in addition to the 5,000 native seedlings given to the community for free as part of the Native Seedlings Giveaway. Community feedback and input from Council’s urban vegetation canopy assessment will be used to decide the number of trees available for future rounds.
Expressions of Interest
September 2020
Site Assessments
October to December 2020
Application Notifications
January 2021
Planting commencement
February 2021
To be confirmed. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for announcements. To keep up to date with environmental initiatives and the next round opening dates subscribe to the Green Communities Newsletter.
