Vic Park Leafy Streets
What is the Vic Park Leafy Streets program?
Our streets play an important role in not only achieving our Urban Forest goal of 20% canopy cover but also to:
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Reduce rising heat in some areas around Town;
Increase tree diversity, contributing better ecology for our living environment;
Beautifying our neighbourhoods;
Increasing the value of our suburbs;
Improving our urban health, and
Increase tree diversity, contributing better ecology for our living environment;
- Beautifying our neighbourhoods;
- Increasing the value of our suburbs;
- Improving our urban health, and,
- Making it a more pleasant experience to walk to and from home to work, public transport, parks or nearby Victoria Park shopping, dining or entertainment precinct.
This initiative is proudly co-funded by Water Corporation’s Waterwise Greening Scheme and forms part of our ambition for Vic Park to be a leading waterwise community.
Importance of street trees
Reduce rising heat in some areas around Town;
Increase tree diversity, contributing better ecology for our living environment;
Beautifying our neighbourhoods;
Increasing the value of our suburbs;
Improving our urban health, and
Making it a more pleasant experience to walk to and from home to work, public transport, parks or nearby Victoria Park shopping, dining or entertainment precinct.
Street trees are planted on verges. Verges are land that forms part of a street. A street comprises multiple elements, a roadway, cycling lanes, pedestrian footpaths, infrastructure corridors and trees. Trees are a vital component of streets and of our urban infrastructure. They are living infrastructure that provides a multitude of services, such as shade.
Did you know? Vic Park Leafy Streets was the main canopy cover contributor to our 2020 planting season, providing a total of 44807m2 of coverage. Find out more.
How does the Vic Park Leafy Streets program work?
Similar to the Town’s Request a Street Tree program, the Vic Park Leafy Streets initiative will see the planting of appropriately selected species of trees in suitably identified street verges around the Town’s suburbs.
The Vic Park Leafy Streets initiative will be implemented with the assistance of our Urban Forest Officers (UFOs), and will work in the following manner:
Together the UFS Implementation Working Group, and the relevant Town’s Urban Forest Place Leader will identify focus areas for street tree planting.
Our UFOs will then walk these focus areas, identifying suitable street tree planting locations.
Once the UFOs have identified suitable areas, they will submit a Request a Street Tree online form.
The proposal will be assessed by the Town’s Parks officer, engineers and Place Leader - Urban Forest, with an appropriate tree species then allocated for planting.
Our UFOs will again go back out on the streets (safely) to drop off information letters postcards to residents adjacent a tree planting location which contains information on
the tree species
who to contact to view the street tree application completed by the UFOs
who to contact to request adjusting the location of the street tree planting
who to contact for more questions.
Street trees will be planted between June - September every year. Residents where nearby street trees are planted will receive information and tree care materials, requesting their assistance to help the street tree grow.
- Together the UFS Implementation Working Group, and the relevant Town’s Urban Forest Place Leader will identify focus areas for street tree planting
- Our UFOs will then walk these focus areas, identifying suitable street tree planting locations.
- Once the UFOs have identified suitable areas, they will photograph the site and submit the location for assessment.
- The proposed location will be assessed by the Town’s Parks Technical officer and Place Leader - Urban Forest, with an appropriate tree species selected for planting.
- A letter will be sent to residents living adjacent a planting site informing them of the tree planting and the species selected for the site.
- Street trees will be planted between June - September every year. Residents living adjacent a new tree will receive tree care materials and information requesting their assistance to help the street tree grow.
When will Vic Park Leafy Streets happen?
Vic Park Leafy Streets is a yearly initiative run by the Town’s Urban Forest Program. The Town's regular tree planting contractors will be engaged to plant the selected tree during planting season (June through to September) every year.
How you can help!
The collective benefits of an Urban Forest is dependent on all us playing many small parts to make a big difference in creating an environment for our trees to thrive in, e.g. sweeping driveways, cleaning gutters, changing our parking habits and looking after street trees near our homes.
If a street tree is planted on the verge near your home, you can help by caring for the new tree by following instructions provided.
You can request the verge adjacent to your property be included in the Vic Park Leafy Streets Program or get involved in other ways with the Urban Forest program - there are many options available to suit all levels of commitment.
Tree planting objections:
Trees planted on public land (e.g. street verges) are Town assets for the benefit of the community. If you object to a location selected then it is recommended you read Town Policy 255 – Tree Management then initiate the following process:
- Objections to tree planting are to be made in writing to the Town of Victoria Park at admin@vicpark.wa.gov.au;
- These will be reviewed by the Parks Technical Officer, Place Leader Urban Forest and Manager Infrastructure Operations;
- Written notice of the determination of the review will be sent to the resident;
- No tree planting will occur while the objection is under review.
More information