Our tree canopy today

About our tree canopy today

Boroondara is known for its abundance of trees, which provide the large range of benefits outlined below.

We need to protect this important part of our city by maintaining and expanding Boroondara's tree canopy.

Tree canopy in Boroondara is defined as all trees and shrubs over 3 metres. This includes trees and shrubs in streets and transport corridors, parks, native reserves, private gardens, schools and any other area within our city limits.

In Boroondara today, 25.7% of all land is covered by tree canopy. Of this total:

23.3% of all private land is covered by tree canopy
31.6% of all public land is covered by tree canopy.

Benefits

Trees provide environmental, economic and social benefits for our community:

Improved climate

increased shade and cooling in summer
reduced flood risk
reduced wind speeds.

Healthier environment

increased habitat for wildlife
increased carbon capture
more attractive urban areas.

Improved community wellbeing

better sleep in adults
higher rates of physical activity
better opportunities for people to connect with nature.

Improved community health

lower cardiovascular risk
improved mental health
reduced deaths from extreme heat.

Better liveability

reduced traffic spreads
reduced crime
improved social cohesion and community connection.

Stronger economy

increased retail activity
increased property values
lower heating and cooling costs.

Challenges and threats

Urban environments can be difficult for trees, with threats and challenges limiting their ability to thrive and survive.

Threats to our tree canopy

There are a number of threats to our tree canopy. These threats include:

overshadowing and wind tunnel impacts from large development
pruning clearances required around buildings, lighting and power lines
extreme heat and drought
pests and diseases
branch damage from large vehicles
root damage caused by footpath, kerb and drainage works
radiated heat from hard surfaces
lack of root space, nutrient and water to support growth
competition with underground services given priority over trees.

Challenges with trees on private land

There are challenges in managing tree canopy on private land.

These challenges include the statutory limitations of tree protection regulations, pressures caused by increased urban densification and larger dwellings, community attitudes and perceptions, and available data.

For a full list of these challenges, download a copy of the draft strategy from our document library on our main page and refer to section 4.

Challenges with trees on public land

There are challenges in managing tree canopy on Council-owned land.

These challenges include balancing the diverse needs and uses public land must accommodate for (like parks and open spaces, roads, footpaths and drainage), considerations and regulations around infrastructure owned and managed by other authorities (like powerlines, underground communication cables and water mains), community concerns about risks caused by trees (like mess and damage) and damage caused by infrastructure renewals and underground services.

For a full list of these challenges, download a copy of the draft strategy from our document library on our main page and refer to section 4.

How we currently manage trees

We currently follow these guidelines and laws to protect and manage trees in Boroondara:

We recently made changes to our Tree Protection Local Law following community consultation. The updated Tree Protection Local Law was adopted by Councillors on Monday 27 May 2024. Find out more on our Tree Canopy Local Law consultation page.

We have 2 Council teams dedicated to managing trees. They are responsible for:

maintaining, removing and planting trees on public land
matters related to trees on private land.

Some of the things we do include:

Pruning around powerlines

We are responsible for maintaining trees around powerlines. We advocate for changes to regulations to reduce pruning and retain canopy.

We advocate for changes to regulations to reduce pruning and retain canopy.

Education and enforcement

On private land, we invest in education and enforcement of tree protection on building sites.

Tree planting

Historically, we planted 900 new trees per year in our streets in parks. We have increased this commitment to planting 2,000 new trees per year.

Tree removal

Each year, around 700 trees on private land and 800 trees on public land are removed due to their age, poor health, structure, or location.