Council considers huge offer to Aussie homeowners to save trees: 'Worth thousands'

An Aussie council is looking into the possibility of providing homeowners with a financial incentive to protect trees on their property. Like many LGAs across Australia, the City of Canning — located in Perth’s southeast — is struggling with a lack of canopy cover on its roads.

Concerned about a phenomenon known as Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE), which raises the temperature of a suburb due to insufficient tree coverage and causes heat-related illnesses, Canning implemented a “significant tree register” in 2021.

However, only two applications have since been received, prompting Councillor Ben Kunze to urge the city council to look into the possibility of providing financial incentives during a council meeting on Tuesday night, PerthNow reports.

Kunze said it was “patently clear” the city needed to do more to encourage residents to nominate “exceptional trees” to be assessed to receive “added protections”. Any person can nominate a tree or group of trees on any public or private land for no fee.

“We know that the City of Canning ranks in the bottom three with respect to the level of tree canopy cover in the Perth metropolitan area,” he said, the publication reports.

According to the council meeting's minutes, Kunze argued private property owners are hesitant to register trees “due to a perception that the value of their property will be negatively impacted” — pointing to a Fremantle homeowner’s recent request to remove a 130-year-old Moreton Bay Fig tree because they believed it was putting off buyers.

• Aussie council fumes over 'disgusting' $1,188 tree theft from local park

• Why sprawling Aussie neighbourhood is set to be hottest place on earth in six months

• Locals divided over plan to save 'last tree left' on Aussie street

Councillor suggests rate reductions for tree protection

Therefore, the councillor suggested Canning specifically consider potential rate reductions or discounts, “which would particularly resolve any issue of potential financial loss when the property went to the market”.

“Any future council would have the benefit to be able to point to the quantum of rate discounts the ratepayer received should there ever be a request to remove the tree from the register,” he added, adding some of trees are worth “tens of thousands of dollars” and are important to the environment.

Council staff planted more than 5,000 new trees last year as part of its plan to increase canopy cover by more than 22 per cent in the next 20 years, but local Stephen Johnston told PerthNow the city still faced “enormous handicaps”.

“We have a drying, hotter climate, which killed many established and newly planted trees last summer,” he told councillors, also noting the threatening presence of polyphagous shot-hole borer — an invasive beetle that tunnels into trees and plants.

A report about financial incentives for the register will be presented to the council in March.

Canopy trees spark debates across Australia

LGAs across the country have introduced proposals to address the “serious problem” of urban heat in the suburbs. In April, the Glen Eira City Council announced it was working to change local laws so residents cannot prune or chop down canopy trees without explicit approval. If they do so without permission, they could reportedly cop a $2,000 fine.

In May, a bitter debate erupted over a gum tree after 11 residents in Perth’s Alexander Heights requested the local council have the 15-metre tree removed from their street.

In late August, Cr Kunze said on Facebook the City of Canning was seeking information about “the sudden demise” of a mature tree in Riverton. The “decades-old” tree valued at $18,500 was poisoned, he claimed.

“These mature trees are disappearing from private properties with infill, especially in Riverton, and it’s gutting to see them disappear from our verges like this.”

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.