Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER council will make it more difficult for developers to raze trees under a revised policy about to go out for consultation.

On a night dominated by discussion about how to preserve the city’s tree canopy, the council is also proposing to remove the right of neighbours to have a say on significant trees that might affect their property.

The council had been ready to adopt a model planning policy on tree retention provided by the WA Local Government Association before deputy mayor Elli Petersen-Pik argued it didn’t go far enough in discouraging developers from clear-felling sites.

“We should tackle the situation, which we see around the city, where developers come and clear the land without any consideration of any of the mature trees – significant trees – on their land,” Cr Petersen-Pik said.

“It’s already happening, especially in the southern part of the city.

“What I am trying to achieve here is to slow down the process of what developers do, because they have no consideration.

Under his proposed amendments, developers would be “discouraged” from removing trees over eight metres with a big canopy cover and a thick trunk.

“The City promotes pre-lodgement discussion on the design and site planning prior to any works to ensure regulated trees are incorporated into the overall design,” his motion read.

“Any subdivision plan should identify regulated trees and note if they are to be retained or removed, and the applicant is to demonstrate how the retained trees will be protected as part of the subdivision process.”

His motion divided the council, but squeezed through 5-4.

But it was his move to tighten up the City’s significant tree register that generated the most passionate debate.

Cr Petersen-Pik said he’d had reservations when the policy was adopted two years ago, and it had been borne out by the lack of any trees making it onto the register.

“I think there were one or two applications and they were rejected; they didn’t meet the criteria,” he said.

Under the proposed new version, adjoining neighbours will lose their appeal rights if a tree makes it onto the register, and while owners will still need to give consent, others are able to nominate their trees.

That prompted a passionate rebuttal from mayor Filomena Piffaretti.

“That means a person from Fremantle or any other area, could drive through the City of Bayswater, spot trees that they like and nominate as many of them as they wish,” she said.

“It also means that if someone doesn’t like you, or a neighbour wants to prevent you from subdividing your block, installing a pool or even putting in a granny flat, they could apply for a tree in your backyard to be put on the register.”

The mayor said under the “fine print” of Cr Petersen-Pik’s proposal, if a landowner objected to a tree on their property being register, the person lodging the application could ask the council to intervene and make a decision.

“This is more erosion of property owner rights. How is this fair?

Despite her concerns, the amended motion got through 5-4 and will now go out for consultation.

Those voting for the policy included Crs Petersen-Pik, Dan Bull, Sally Palmer, Georgia Johnson, Nat Latter and Lorna Clarke.

Those against included Crs Assunta Meleca, Josh Eveson, Steven Ostaszewskj and the mayor.

by STEVE GRANT