The loss of urban green space and native vegetation is a very important issue for Local Government, particularly in urban areas where there is clearing of land for infill and greenfield development. Reduced canopy cover impacts on public amenity, human health and biodiversity and as trees are often replaced with hard surfaces, this generally leads to increases in average temperatures creating urban heat islands. This often results in increased energy and water use for homes and businesses.
 
Local Governments have been playing a leading role to address this issue with many developing and implementing urban forest and/or greening strategies, adopting significant tree registers and tree bonds and making amendments to Local Planning Schemes.

To support Local Government efforts to maintain their urban tree canopy, it is vital that State Government provides the necessary statutory guidance and planning policies and WALGA will continue to advocate strongly for these changes.
 

2021/22 Local Government Urban Canopy Grant Program

 

The 2021/22 Local Government Urban Canopy Grant program was created to expand tree canopy in high urban heat risk areas in Local Governments within the Perth and Peel regions. Funded by the Water Corporation and administered by WALGA, the program provided $750,000 to support additional planting or bring forward future tree planting in these Local Governments’ current urban forest plans.  A total of 32 Local Governments were eligible to apply for funding to deliver tree planting projects between June 2021 and June 2022

Round 1 successful grant recipients were announced in May 2021, with 14 Local Governments awarded funding to plant more than 2,400 trees by 2022. 

Round 2 successful grant recipients were announced in July 2021, with 4 Local Governments awarded funding to plant more than 1,000 trees by 2022.

Planting are earmarked for high urban heat areas including industrial, commercial and retail precincts, sporting complexes, urban growth corridors, parks, and pedestrian and cycling routes.  The plantings will collectively provide more than 16 hectares of urban tree canopy cover over the next ten years and contribute to the liveability of local communities.

Please see the Grant Program Guidelines here, and frequenly asked questions here.
 
The presentation from an online information session for Local Government can be accessed here.

The Grant Program has now closed, with no further funding rounds available.  For more information, please contact Melanie Davies, WALGA Urban Forest Grant Facilitator, or call 9213 2065.

 

Round 1 Successful Applicants of the Grant Program

 

Local Government

Project Title

Project Overview

Funding Allocation (ex GST)

City of Armadale

Tree planting in Don Simmons Reserve

Tree planting in a park and adjoining residential verges with close proximity to public transport route, primary school, car park, playground and other community facilities

$43,398

City of Bayswater

Morley City Centre Leafy Urban Streets

Tree planting on verges in commercial and industrial areas of the Morley Activity Centre.

$48,785

City of Canning

Increasing Canopy Amenity At The Cannington Leisureplex

Tree planting in the car park at the Cannington Leisureplex, a facility with high patronage that is currently devoid of canopy cover.

$6,732

City of Cockburn

Cockburn Canopy 149

Tree planting in 23 streets in Cockburn within both a residential estate, and an industrial area within an ecological corridor.

$37,446

City of Fremantle

Increasing Urban Canopy Cover

Tree planting across seven sites adjacent to car parks, along pedestrian walkways, and in parkland in green linkages to connect green spaces.

$16,520

City of Kalamunda

The cooling of the Swan Coastal Plain, Kalamunda

Tree planting in six highly used public open spaces and natural areas using native and ornamental tree species.

$66,357

City of Kwinana

Bertram Tree Planting 2022

Street tree planting in the suburb of Bertram, a subdivision estate developed in the 1990s with no street tree provision.

$36,960

City of Perth

City of Perth Urban Forest Plan - Infill street tree planting program (Moore Street)

Tree planting on a newly extended footpath on Moore street in central Perth, adjacent to the Children's Court of WA and the Perth to Fremantle Principal Shared Path.

$25,177

City of South Perth

Trees for the future of South Perth

Tree planting in six multiple use park precincts that encompass schools, sporting clubs, and wider community sporting and passive activities.

$59,509

City of Vincent

Beaufort Street Median Tree Planting

Tree planting within the median strip of Beaufort Street to reduce heat for commuters.

$17,320

Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale

Abernethy Road Landscaping Project

Planting of Eucalyptus wandoo along Abernanthy Road verge following an upgrade to widen the road, which is a major thoroughfare linking Central Byford to residential areas, schools and shopping districts.

$16,332

Town of Bassendean

Town of Bassendean Tree Planting

Tree planting within an industrial area, major road median strip, and residential area where homes have little to no gardens.

$14,273

Town of Cottesloe

Curtin Avenue Greening Project

Tree planting within the railway corridor along the Perth-Fremantle line to shade the principle shared path and create habitat for wildlife.

$12,428

Town of East Fremantle

Greening the Town

Tree plantings in seven areas of underutilised public open space to increase community access and use of sites.

$70,805

 

Round 2 Successful Applicants of the Grant Program

Local Government

Project Title

Project Overview

Funding Allocation (ex GST)

City of Gosnells

Increasing tree canopy in urban growth areas

Tree planting in streetscapes of main access ways in a growth area surrounding Amherst Community Centre and Library, plus a large shopping commercial and retail precinct. 

$24,568

City of Melville

Corridor canopy enhancement for communities and biodiversity

Tree planting within parks located within strategically identified ecological corridors to provide urban cooling around footpaths, playgrounds and community spaces, and contribute to climate resilience and wildlife habitat.

$11,909

City of Rockingham

Planned planting of trees for Urban Canopy Grant Program

Tree planting around high use community facilities, including the playing fields of Lark Hill sporting complex and Wanbro Oval, and within a road reserve.

$60,701

City of Swan

Dayton Tree Planting Project

Tree planting along Dayton Boulevard and residential verges in the suburb of Dayton, a greenfield development area within an urban growth corridor. 

$38,216

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Local Government Urban Forest Working Group


In early 2019 WALGA established the Local Government Urban Forest Working Group and is currently represented by 28 Local Governments from across the state. The purpose of the Working Group is to build the capacity of Local Government, identifying gaps and developing practical planning outcomes and tools. The Working Group operates as a community of practice for members to share their experiences, take collective action and responsibility for progressing agreed priority issues.

For more information on the Working Group, please contact WALGA Environment Policy Officer,  Jade Mains or WALGA Manager, Planning and Buildings, Chris Hossen.

 

Resources

Better Urban Forest Planning Guide

In November 2018, WALGA along with the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage released the Better Urban Forest Planning Guide . The Guide will assist Councils, developers and government agencies in their planning and policies around urban greening, tree retention and replacement. It includes information on planning, market based and regulatory ‘tools’, case studies that highlight ‘best-practice’ actions and how to access CSIRO’s Urban Monitor data .  

WALGA have been actively involved with supporting Local Governments in the preparation of reports, papers and hosting of workshops, including:

Data

There are a number of approaches Local Governments take in measuring urban canopy.

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage provides open source urban canopy data through Urban Forest  mapping and via the Urban Tree Canopy Dashboard.

 

Further resources on urban forests: