Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT council has called on the Cook government to do more to protect trees on private land.

Mayor Alison Xamon championed the cause, raising a notice of motion at Tuesday’s council meeting aimed at tackling the City’s low canopy cover.

“Our inner-city suburbs, and the rest of WA, are literally feeling the heat from very low canopy cover and the increased loss of trees on private land,” Ms Xamon said.

“Urban canopy contributes significantly towards local biodiversity, visual amenity, community wellbeing and reduces the impact of urban heat island effect.

“It is also an important contribution to addressing the impacts of climate change.”

Private land

While recent changes to the state’s R-Codes recognise the importance of retaining canopy on private land, Ms Xamon said the Cook government hadn’t gone far enough in requiring development approval for removing mature trees.

“This is contributing significantly to the decline of canopy cover within our suburbs and shows that the current system is failing,” she said.

“Local governments are facing increased challenges in retaining trees as they tackle the need to accommodate increasing housing density and the infestation of the polyphagous shot-hold borer.

“The council will be continuing to plant hundreds of trees on public verges, parks and carparks, as part of our annual winter planting season, and will be planning for more replacement trees in areas impacted by the PSHB,” Ms Xamon said.