Background to the 'Urban Greening Strategy' for Perth and Peel State Government Survey 2024
The State Government is developing a new 'Urban Greening Strategy' for Perth and Peel. Led by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC), the Urban Green Strategy will explore elements aimed at enhancing tree canopy and creating more green spaces across the Perth and Peel regions, including:
- tree canopy measurement and reporting;
- education and awareness;
- urban heat identification and mitigation;
- green linkages (including opportunities on underutilised land); and
- a $3.75 million 'Urban Greening Grant Program' open to WA local governments now.
The strategy will be developed with community input and the State Government invites all stakeholders to provide their input by Friday, 7 June 2024. Initiatives that could be considered include additional Government grant programs, events and incentives, a public education program, expanding successful planting and tree programs, improved tree canopy data and opportunities to partner with local government and community groups. You can enter the survey here: www.wa.gov.au/urban-greening-strategy
The planned scope of the Strategy
The planned scope of the Strategy involves several projects based around the following themes:
- Increasing tree canopy and vegetation on government owned and managed land.
- Use of consistent digital data in urban forest and tree canopy measurement.
- Plan green linkages to provide recreational, habitat and biodiversity connections across Perth and Peel region.
- Identify priority urban hot spots for focusing tree planting.
- Continuing research into the value of trees and the urban forest for Perth and Peel.
- Improve general awareness of the importance of tree canopies and urban greening.
The State Government are undertaking further research and talking with key stakeholders to better understand who and how people and organisations are engaged with urban greening across Perth and Peel to best target the focus of the Strategy. You can enter the survey here: www.wa.gov.au/urban-greening-strategy
They want to hear from us – the public!
Use our chance to inform the government how 'green' we currently rate Perth and Peel regions and why we support additional greening!
The consultation survey asks for good examples of tree/canopy education or retention initiatives – in Australia and/or internationally.
This is our chance to have our voices heard. You can enter the survey here: www.wa.gov.au/urban-greening-strategy
Suggested responses (cut and paste) for questions 3, 4, 13, & 15
You are welcome to use the following text to guide (or to copy-and-paste into) some of your responses. It should only take 5 minutes. Results from the survey will help inform the development of the Strategy. You can enter the survey here: www.wa.gov.au/urban-greening-strategy
Survey Question 3
Urban Greening
Urban greening is about making cities healthy and attractive places to live and work. It involves retaining and planting as many trees and plants as possible, ensuring our neighbourhoods have adequate shade and protection from hot weather, and retaining and enhancing habitat for our native plants and animals. Urban greening is an important part of the Government's plans to improve the liveability of our suburbs and urban centres as they grow and develop.
Q3. On a scale of 1 to 10, please rate how green (vegetation wise) you currently think the Perth and Peel regions are? (10 being highest, 1 being lowest)
Question 3 - suggested response:
In 2021, Nearmap ranked Perth as the most barren major city in Australia, with just 22% of the population living in suburbs with more than 20% tree cover, compared to 30% in Melbourne, 44% in Sydney and 79% in Brisbane.
Survey Question 4
Q4. On a scale of 1 to 10, please rate your level of support for additional urban greening in the Perth and Peel regions? (10 being highest, 1 being lowest)
Question 4 - suggested responses:
Urban greening improves liveability and community cohesion whilst reducing energy and resource usage. Trees increase property values. Trees provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, air and water filtration, shade, habitat and oxygen.
Trees are the forgotten heroes for our health. Trees improve our air quality; trees are rainmakers; trees house our pollinators; trees are good for our mood; trees aid healthy development in children; trees help curb climate change; trees encourage physical activity outdoors; trees cool our communities; trees provide connection to country; and trees help provide safe, clean water – plus so much more.
Trees are crucial to mitigate the impacts of climate change in urban areas, providing shade and reducing heat, while also creating liveable neighbourhoods, improving air quality, enhancing biodiversity and promoting psychological and emotional wellbeing.
With climate projections of higher temperatures and longer and more intense heatwaves, this role will become even more important. The impacts will be more pronounced in urban areas, as a result of the heat island effect caused by heat absorbing materials used in roads and buildings.
Survey Question 13
Q13. Is there anything else you would like to say about the trees in your nominated suburb or Perth and Peel?
Question 13 suggested response:
According to the City of Bayswater Urban Forest Strategy (2022), 'preliminary assessment of tree canopy coverage within the City of Bayswater indicates that canopy coverage is approximately 13.2%'. This is alarming, and much lower than Australia's already dismal canopy coverage of 24.6% (Greener Spaces, Better Places report, 2016). To compare, Sweden has more than 70% of its landscape. For a closer-to-home comparison: Wellington City and other urban areas in New Zealand have over 30% tree canopy coverage (Tree Canopy Cover in Wellington City and Suburbs, New Zealand, 2021).
We can no longer solely rely on 'Urban Forests' and 'Urban Greening Grants' and other local or state government initiatives to bring this canopy cover back to minimal levels (ie above 30%). We need the government to start making bold decisions in regards to legislation to protect our current tree canopy (on private and public land), and to make big decisions on climate change initiatives, to help protect the trees we have.
Survey Question 15
Q15. Where have you seen some good examples of tree / canopy education or retention initiatives? These can be in Australia or internationally.
Question 15 - suggested responses:
"The Singapore government has created a framework called LUSH (Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-rises), which encourages developers and architects to add greenery into their designs. Government policy has contributed to the green wall boom. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, stressed that turning the city-state into a garden city would give it a competitive advantage over other regional hubs after its independence in 1965, citing Hong Kong's uncontrolled development as a negative example. In addition to planting trees on expressways and factory grounds, the government has also focused on greening high-rise buildings since 2009. Up to half the cost of green walls and rooftop gardens is paid for by the government. Authorities hope the green walls will help combat global warming. Singapore aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 36% by 2030, versus 2005. To this end, many builders work to get their structures certified eco-friendly under the government's Green Mark program." (Link to article).
In Victoria, according to the Greener Spaces Better Places report (2017), despite population growth and an increase in hard surface areas, the City of Melbourne managed to maintain its canopy levels between 2011 and 2016 – there was no significant loss of canopy.
In WA, according to the Greener Spaces Better Places report (2017), both the City of Belmont and the City of Armadale are the two most dedicated councils to urban forestry, with strong targets and committed urban forestry teams.
Links to further resources and organisations
These organisations below have terrific success stories and further evidence on the topic of urban greening:
- NatureLink Perth: Transitioning Perth to connect people and nature. NatureLink Perth provides a hub for people and organisations to work together to conserve our biodiversity or integrate nature into our city.
- TreeNet: an independent and NFP organisation supporting urban forest research and education for communities and practitioners.
- Greener Spaces Better Places: a movement that brings together community, growers, government, business, and everyday people to make our homes, streets, and suburbs the greenest in the world.
- Green Infrastructure: A Brilliant Cities Report (2017): AECOM's research aimed to calculate the value street trees provide in Australian cities. Their intent was to gain better insights into their benefits and understand how these could inform discussions about street trees, and other green infrastructure.
- Living Cities: Trees in the Urban Environment (2019): Planet Ark's Tree Report compiled science from some of the most informed and reliable academic sources in Australia in order to provide an answer to why our green cover is decreasing, despite the very clear environmental, social, health and economic benefits.
- Cool Streets combines scientific research and public engagement, working with local communities and councils to implement effective street tree plantings that provide shade in heat-affected urban areas and reduce CO2 emissions.
Feedback and suggestions
We welcome feedback and suggestions please email canopy@envirohouse.org.au