UFS Planning & Policy Objectives

UFS Planning & Policy Objectives

While projects that get trees in the ground and involve the community are a priority, it is also important that the Town reviews and adjusts policies and practices that will help achieve the goals of its Urban Forest Strategy (UFS). These policies and practices will enable the addition of canopy to our Town as well as help preserve the existing urban forest.

This work involves reviewing existing policy and practices and making sure they value the urban forest, providing maximum opportunity for the UFS goals to be achieved. New policy and practices are developed in collaboration with the Urban Forest Strategy Implementation Working Group before a draft version is presented to Council for Elected Member review, adjustment and endorsement. Once endorsed by Council, Town officers are responsible for applying these policies and following the practices.

A strong policy and practice framework that places a high value on trees will ensure contemporary best practice is followed and have a great influence on the urban forest on both private and public land.

Some of the recent progress in policy and practice includes:

Local Planning Policy 39 - Tree Planting and Protection

This is a new planning policy that was endorsed by Council and came into effect from June 2020. This policy requires tree planting and provision of deep soil zones in new developments. It also requires replacement of trees removed for development purposes along with the provision of deep soil zones for these replacement trees. 

Read more. 

Policy 255 Tree Management 

In 2020 the Town overhauled its tree management policy. This new policy is significantly different from the previous one and aligns the Town’s Tree Management practices of contemporary best practice and the direction set by the Urban Forest Strategy.
Changes include the annual tree planting program, tree selection practices and tree pruning practices. This council adopted policy enables the planting of trees on suitable verges and the ongoing health and care of our Urban Forest. This will ensure future generations have a healthy urban forest and therefore a healthy urban environment to live.

Read the policy.

Street Tree planting Specification

You may have noticed a change to the way we plant street trees in 2020. This is due to the development of a new Street Tree Planting Specification by Town officers. Following significant research regarding best practice for tree planting, the new specification has been adopted and used from the 2020 Planting Season onwards. Changes include the planting of smaller stock, the use of reusable tree wells and conditioning ½ cubic metre of soil with industry leading products.

This new technique will half the amount of water required for the trees to establish. This improves the ability of the tree to provide maximum canopy and significantly reduces the cost of tree planting.

Significant Tree Policy

Throughout 2021, Town officers in collaboration with the UFS Implementation Working Group and Elected members will be reviewing the current Significant Tree Policy and looking for ways to improve its application and use.

Find out more about the current significant tree policy.