Results of the Beaumaris Urban Forest Case Study are in

Key learnings from the Urban Forest Case Study in Beaumaris will assist Council to protect more trees and encourage more consistent vegetation planting.  A strong urban forest reduces the impact of the urban heat island effect and improves local amenity.

The study revealed that despite having a robust framework relating to trees, there is benefit in Council preparing a municipal-wide Urban Forest Strategy to ensure Bayside has healthy tree and vegetation coverage in the future.

Some of the learnings in the study include:

Council’s Urban Tree Monitoring Project should continue to catalogue and monitor Bayside’s tree population which will improve how Council polices illegal tree removal and assist in understanding the potential impacts of climate change Council can do more to ensure land owners are aware of their obligations in relation to landscaping following development, and the important role trees and vegetation play in keeping our neighbourhoods cool in the face of more extreme weather events compliance with landscape plans endorsed as part of the planning process improves dramatically with proactive auditing and enforcement protecting significant trees via the Planning Scheme is more effective than under our Local Laws, as the Planning and Environment Act 1987 allows for higher penalties a more consistent approach is needed across Council to consider tree removal applications in the wider context of an urban forest mandatory ecological reports for tree removal applications duplicate the work of Council arborists and planning officers and Council will not require applicants to provide this with tree removal applications the use of tree bonds to protect trees during development on private property and Council land are not needed as auditing, asset protection processes and planning permits can produce the same results with less resourcing and administrative costs.

Some initiatives from the study will be implemented immediately and others will inform the municipal-wide Urban Forest Strategy to be considered in next year’s budget.