Urban Forest Strategy case study

Bayside City Council will test the benefits, outcomes, limitations and opportunities of a future Urban Forest Strategy with a suburb-level case study.

This initiative responds to community concerns about the incremental and cumulative impact of tree and vegetation loss from both low-scale development and applications to remove trees and vegetation generally.

An Urban Forest Strategy would assist Council to manage trees and vegetation as a collective and integrated environment. The City’s urban forest consists of all trees and vegetation located throughout Bayside, irrespective of the tree species, origin, location or ownership.

An Urban Forest Strategy would provide an opportunity to consider the cumulative benefits of an entire tree population and implications as a result of canopy loss on amenity and urban character, resilience to climate change, the urban heat island effect, flora and fauna and urban ecosystems.

Although Bayside enjoys a high level of tree and vegetation cover across the municipality, there is a need to monitor tree coverage and ensure that this is maintained and enhanced into the future.