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.

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.


Was this page helpful?