29/05/2023

As you all know, we are incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful area with so much greenery and open space.
 
There are many of you that are very passionate about preserving trees in our area, Council included. We take the preservation of trees very seriously; a protected environment is one of the six pillars of the Georges River Community Strategic plan. We also have comprehensive tree management processes in place, including an over-arching Tree Management Policy.

Council’s vision as an environmental leader is to prioritise the protection of trees for their ecological, aesthetic, social and economic contribution to our lifestyle. We encourage international best practice for managing the existing tree population and planting of a future canopy. Trees are an important feature in the urban environment, providing shade and cooling temperatures.
 
Two weeks ago, Council Compliance staff conducted inspections as part of the Georges Riverkeeper ‘Get the Site Right’ Blitz, which targets inadequate or lack of sediment and erosion control on building sites. We leveraged this Blitz to also undertake a tree audit on these building sites. Trees on development sites provide instant amenity value to new developments and the community.
 
Damage to trees during development can be detrimental to the health and lifespan of a tree. As a preventative measure, Council officers inspected tree protective fencing, signage, trunk and branch protection, and ground protection to ensure that parts of a protected tree are not affected by the development. Council also conducts the audit to evaluate if there were any trees removed unlawfully.
 
In addition to expanding our knowledge of tree coverage in the LGA, the Blitz process enabled education for builders and developers on the important role trees play in protecting our waterways, our foreshore recreational areas, our marine life, and importantly, our local flora and fauna.
 
We want compliant building sites not just for the interests of the community, but also for the benefit of our local biodiversity.
 
To find out more, visit Council’s Tree Management webpage.