The paper reviewed 581 applications asking for tree removal in 2018/19. Of these only 31 were refused the other 550 were approved. Legislation states that trees are regulated if their girth is 2 metres and significant if it is 3 metres or more. Anyone wishing to remove or prune such a tree must apply for removal. One third of the applications were for significant trees. Unley had the second highest refusal rate with 5 refusals but still allowed nearly 80% of applications to be successful. Many of these do not come to the Council Assessment Panel for approval.Recommendations for change include:
- Changing planning laws to encourage retention
- Redefining what the terms mean and at what point they kick in. As an example significance used to be reached at 2.5 m
- Requiring replacement of trees removed on the same site
- Ensuring all new developments have at least one tree planted before handover. And that this tree be maintained
- Incentives to retain trees
- Valuing trees at their real value and insisting that this value is paid to Council when approval is given.
- Unley has just completed its new Tree Strategy, it worth a read. https://www.unley.sa.gov.au/files/assets/public/council/about-the-council/city-of-unley-tree-strategy-2020.pdf
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