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The Town of Cambridge and Shire of Peppermint Grove have moved to protect mature trees on private land through local planning policies. In September 2024, both councils were advertising proposed rules for public comment; a June 2026 Western Australian Legislative Council statement later listed both among local governments with tree-protection policies in operation. That confirms a later status, but not the exact rules now applying to a particular property.
What the councils proposed in 2024
PerthNow reported on September 26, 2024, that Cambridge and Peppermint Grove had each agreed to advertise a proposed tree-retention policy for public comment. Cambridge made its decision that month and Peppermint Grove the previous month; both decisions were unanimous. The proposals drew on a model developed by the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA). PerthNow’s September 2024 report described the model as covering damaging activity—including killing, removing or significantly pruning—a mature tree more than eight metres tall without prior approval.
The reported proposals were not identical. Peppermint Grove’s proposed threshold required a tree to meet at least two of three tests: height of at least eight metres, canopy spread of at least six metres, or trunk circumference of at least 1.5 metres. The proposal was limited to residential-zoned land. The shire’s report cautioned that a broad threshold could capture trees without aesthetic or habitat significance.
| 2024 reported proposal | Town of Cambridge | Shire of Peppermint Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Tree threshold described | WALGA-derived mature-tree model: more than eight metres tall | At least two of: eight metres tall; six-metre canopy spread; 1.5-metre trunk circumference |
| Land coverage | Not stated in the report | Residential-zoned land |
| Activities described | Model covered killing, removal or significant pruning without prior approval | Not stated separately from the model description |
| Current operative provisions | Not stated in the June 2026 parliamentary statement | Not stated in the June 2026 parliamentary statement |
These are features reported while the policies were proposed in 2024, not a substitute for either council’s current policy document.
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Are the policies in force now?
A Western Australian Legislative Council statement on June 16, 2026, named both councils among local governments with tree-protection policies in operation. The statement is a later status signal, but it does not set out the policies’ commencement dates, current thresholds, covered zones, exceptions, approval pathways or penalties. Read the Legislative Council statement for that limited confirmation.
So the answer to “Can I remove or prune this tree?” depends on the current rules and the property. Before work begins, contact the relevant council and ask for the operative policy, permit requirements and any applicable exemptions in writing. Do not rely on the 2024 proposal thresholds to determine whether a specific tree is regulated.
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What the proposals were responding to
The 2024 report placed the local policies against concern over Perth’s tree canopy and the failure of a proposed statewide tree-retention policy to proceed after Planning Minister John Carey rejected it. Cambridge councillor Xavier Carr said local government should lead on protecting trees. The report also quoted WA Tree Canopy Advocate Sarah Allchurch saying that, in her view, local planning policies were the best way for councils to protect mature trees, and attributed to her the claim that 80 per cent of tree loss occurred on public land. That figure is her reported statement, not an independently established statistic here.
Residents raised losses of mature trees on private blocks. Floreat resident Jessica Sears described nearby mature tuarts she said predated settlement. Cambridge planning and community services director Luke Gibson said the town did not know how many trees had been removed from private land. The report estimated 54 to 175 polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB)-positive trees in the Cambridge district, including public land, and noted that not all infested trees were removed. That estimate is not a count of total tree loss.
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Grant funding and planting activity
The WA Tree Recovery Local Government Grant Program’s Round 2 offered more than $3.3 million to 26 local governments to support more than 10,000 trees. The program page, updated September 25, 2026, lists offers of $130,636 to Cambridge and $124,051 to Peppermint Grove. Funding offers are not evidence that planting has been completed. See the WA Tree Recovery Local Government Grant Program for program terms and updates.
- Stream 1: Applications could seek $1,500 for each PSHB-removed tree to support three replacement trees.
- Stream 2: Proactive planting projects could receive up to $100,000 per project.
- Program deadlines: Funded projects must be completed by August 31, 2028, with final reports due October 6, 2028.
These are program terms and dates, not confirmation that either council has completed a particular project.
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Resident planting support and PSHB restrictions
Apace WA’s 2026 Native Plant Subsidy Scheme listed both councils as participants. Eligible residents could buy subsidised seedlings for $3 each from May 1 to May 30, 2026; that offer has expired. Check Apace WA or your council for any future seasonal scheme rather than treating the 2026 offer as available.
WALGA’s September 6, 2024 update placed both councils in PSHB Zone A and described restrictions then applying to movement of untreated wood and larger plant material. Those historical details may have changed. For current movement rules, check the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s latest PSHB notice; do not rely on a 2024 quarantine summary.
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What to check before tree work or a building project
For owners, builders and designers planning work in Cambridge or Peppermint Grove, tree protection is a due-diligence issue before site clearance, excavation or pruning—not just a landscaping consideration. Ask the council to confirm the rules that apply to the lot and the proposed work.
- Identify the property’s council, zoning and the exact tree or trees affected.
- Obtain the council’s current tree-retention policy and any application or permit forms.
- Ask whether the planned activity—including pruning, removal, excavation or other work near the tree—requires approval, and whether an exemption applies.
- Confirm the application process, required arborist or site information, decision timeframe, and consequences of proceeding without approval.
- Check current PSHB movement restrictions separately if the work involves moving wood or plant material.
The evidence available publicly in the June 2026 parliamentary statement does not resolve the operative thresholds or enforcement for an individual property. In 2024, Cambridge’s Luke Gibson said potential penalties under the Planning and Development Act had not yet been tested in a magistrates court or similar. No later court outcome or definitive enforcement account is established here, so ask the relevant council about current legal consequences rather than assuming a penalty or its application.
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