Ten mature trees were removed from the State-owned site at East Parade and Guildford Road, Mt Lawley, after the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) approved remediation works in October 2024. City of Vincent Mayor Alison Xamon criticised how the decision unfolded. The City had recommended retaining the trees and exploring alternatives; the WAPC, not the City, approved the public works application.
Why were ten mature trees removed in Mt Lawley?
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) told the City of Vincent that further investigations found asbestos-containing material and demolition waste in soil around tree roots. As reported by the City, DPLH said contamination extended into root areas and that remediation and validation work there would harm the trees. DPLH’s stated position was that full remediation was needed to support the site’s intended residential use.
Those technical conclusions are reported through the City’s account of the application, rather than independently established here. The City said its records did not include updated arborist, environmental or other technical reports supporting the later information from DPLH. The City also reported that WAPC cited peer review and additional advice when it approved removal where asbestos contamination in root areas necessitated it.
How did the application change?
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 26 July 2024 | DPLH sent the City a public works application for remediation. The City says the plans did not indicate tree removal, DPLH’s letter said no trees would be removed as part of remediation, the arborist report noted no major issues requiring removal, and the Remediation Action Plan recommended protecting all trees. |
| 11 September 2024 | DPLH told the City that further investigation meant ten trees needed to be removed to complete remediation and support future redevelopment. |
| 7 October 2024 | The City supported remediation but recommended against removing the trees. It asked DPLH to investigate alternatives and sought protections for trees that would remain, management of construction impacts and community updates. |
| 14 October 2024 | WAPC approved the public works application, permitting removal of ten trees and requiring protection of retained trees during remediation. |
| 17 October 2024 | The City published its account as tree-removal works commenced. It said the State-owned site was intended for social and affordable housing through the Housing Diversity Pipeline. |
| 22 October 2024 | Xamon criticised the circumstances of the removal at an Ordinary Council Meeting. |
The City’s account says the WAPC considered that requiring every tree to be retained could hinder remediation and lead to later tree removal and further remediation. The public works did not require City development approval, but did require WAPC approval under the Metropolitan Region Scheme.
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Did the City of Vincent approve the tree removal?
No. The City was consulted and recommended against removing the trees, but it did not approve or veto the public works. WAPC approved the application under the Metropolitan Region Scheme and required retained trees to be protected during remediation.
What did Alison Xamon say?
At the 22 October 2024 council meeting, Mayor Alison Xamon said: “I am extremely disappointed at the circumstances around the removal of the ten, mature, healthy trees at the corner of East Parade and Guildford Road.” The description “mature, healthy” was Xamon’s characterisation; it is distinct from DPLH’s reported explanation that contamination in root areas required remediation.
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The council minutes also record Xamon saying the City had received an application and one arborist report, “to this date the only arborist report that was ever received by the City.”
Was asbestos found in the trees?
The City reported asbestos-containing material in soil and tree-root areas. That is not the same as saying asbestos was found in the trees themselves. The City’s account says the initial application documents recommended tree protection; DPLH later reported that further investigation identified contamination in root areas and that remediation there would damage the trees.
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What was the proposed tree tally?
The City’s October 2024 article contains an inconsistency in the site count: it says the arborist report identified 34 trees, with ten proposed for removal and 24 for retention, but separately states that there were 35 trees on the site. The same article says the proposed retention included five of seven high-significance trees and 12 of 15 medium-significance trees, while the five other trees proposed for removal were assessed as having low retention value. The figures should not be treated as a reconciled inventory.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is planned for the site now?
On 18 March 2026, WAPC’s Statutory Planning Committee approved a separate application to demolish a dwelling and build 90 multiple dwellings on the site. Committee members described the proposal as balancing tree retention, heritage elements and social housing needs for people over 55. The approval requires a Landscape and Tree Retention Plan to be submitted and approved before work, then implemented. It also requires heritage management and reinterpretation strategies, and is valid for four years from approval if not substantially commenced.
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This 2026 development approval is separate from the 2024 public works approval for remediation and tree removal. The City’s project page later reported that the ten trees had been removed, remediation completed and the contaminated-site classification removed. The page also identifies 40 Guildford Road as a house the City sought to retain for heritage value; that heritage issue is distinct from the earlier tree-removal decision.
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