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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →South Perth Council rejected a draft tree-retention policy on 23 July 2024, prompting criticism from tree-canopy advocates. That was not the final outcome: the City later adopted Local Planning Policy 3.2 – Tree Retention on 26 August 2025. The adopted policy generally requires approval for damaging activity to qualifying trees on land covered by the policy, subject to exceptions.
Why did South Perth Council reject the draft in 2024?
The draft amended policy was intended to prioritise retaining and protecting trees on private land. As reported by PerthNow on 8 August 2024, it would have required approval to kill, remove or significantly prune mature trees more than eight metres high.
On 23 July 2024, Mayor Greg Milner put forward an alternative motion asking the State Government to adopt a consistent position on trees on private property. The motion passed 5–4, and the draft policy was not adopted at that meeting. The City said the decision followed the State’s removal of similar proposed provisions from Local Planning Scheme No. 7.
Cost and enforcement concerns
Milner argued that tree-protection rules should be set by the State and cited an estimated enforcement cost of about $585,000 per year. That was his estimate, not an independently confirmed or audited expense. He also questioned whether the City could prove that a regulated tree had been poisoned. He said the projected spending could instead support community facilities and services.
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- 【Sturdy Metal Tree Guards】Our tree bark protectors are made of 2mm thick heavy wire, which is stronger than the normal1.6mm thick and is not easily damaged and deformed by deer or critters. The vinyl coating of the wire mesh helps prevent rust and corrosion, so the tree trunk protector has a long service life
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State Government and advocate responses
Planning Minister John Carey criticised the alternative motion as “extraordinary buck-passing” and said the State did not support requiring development applications for maintaining or removing private trees, except through voluntary measures. He cited housing supply as a competing priority.
Deputy Mayor Bronwyn Waugh argued that the City needed to act because state rules had not ensured tree protection. Kathy Lees, co-founder of South Perth Tree Canopy Advocates, said the rejection was disappointing after years of community work: “It’s very disappointing (because) after four years we’ve ended up with nothing.”
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- 【Heavier Gauge Tree Trunk Guard】Our tree bark protectors are made of 2mm thick heavy wire, which is stronger than the normal1.6mm thick and is not easily damaged and deformed by deer or critters. The vinyl coating of the wire mesh helps prevent rust and corrosion, so the tree trunk protector has a long service life
- 【Stackable & Expandable】Each new tree protector is 5" in diameter and 16-1/2" in height. By stacking and securing 1 or 2 or more protections together with zip ties, you can make the trunk wider or taller to fit the size of your trees. You can get 2 protectors with a maximum stack height of 48"
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What does the policy adopted in 2025 cover?
The City’s notice about the 2024 rejection was updated to record that Council adopted Local Planning Policy 3.2 – Tree Retention on 26 August 2025. The adopted policy applies to land within the City zoned under Local Planning Scheme No. 7. It covers development and subdivision applications, certain strategic planning proposals, and damaging activity to regulated trees.
Which trees meet the regulated-tree thresholds?
A regulated tree must be living and not a weed species. It meets the policy definition if it satisfies at least one of these thresholds:
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- At least 8 metres high.
- An average canopy diameter of at least 6 metres.
- A trunk circumference of at least 1.5 metres, measured 1.4 metres above ground.
When is approval generally required?
The policy generally requires development approval for damaging activity to a regulated tree, but lists exceptions. Examples include maintenance pruning; urgent safety or environmental work; activity required under an approved bushfire management plan; registered weed species; palms; and public works. The policy says that impact on views is not a supported justification.
For applications, the policy calls for consideration of matters such as tree health and ecological value, contribution to the street, site design, safety, arborist advice and proposed replacement planting. These criteria make design relevant: the policy considers whether a proposal can accommodate trees while meeting development needs, rather than treating removal as the only option.
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How does the 2025 foreshore-tree dispute differ?
A separate dispute concerned six young trees on public land at Sir James Mitchell Park, not the private-property policy decision. In a 23 July 2025 report, ABC News said Council voted to remove the trees after complaints that they could eventually obstruct residents’ views of the Perth skyline. Councillor Nic Coveney said residents wanted to preserve their views and property values.
ABC reported that City staff said the trees had been planted along property boundaries and selected in part to address winter waterlogging. Most were expected to reach 4–10 metres; one corymbia calophylla could reach 15–30 metres. Bronwyn David, co-convenor of South Perth Tree Canopy Advocates, criticised the decision as privileging a small number of residents’ views over the community’s need for tree cover.
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Mayor Milner told ABC that about 135 square metres of low-level landscaping was proposed, subject to budget review, and that a workshop on public-land tree planting policy would be held. The report does not establish whether that landscaping or workshop subsequently took place.
What the dispute shows about competing priorities
The 2024 debate involved who should set rules, how they could be enforced and whether the cost and administrative burden were justified alongside housing supply. Advocates argued for local action to protect canopy; the Mayor raised enforcement and cost concerns, while the Planning Minister emphasised housing. Those were competing positions, not settled findings about the policy’s ultimate costs or effects.
The 2025 public-land decision involved a different balance: projected tree growth, waterlogging, residents’ views and property values, and the wider value of canopy. ABC’s February 2024 report said Perth had less than 20 per cent tree-canopy coverage, but the report passage does not identify the original data publisher; the figure should therefore be treated as an ABC-reported estimate, not attributed to a named statistical body.
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