2 Draft Boroondara Tree Strategy 2017 Abstract · an urban environment including susceptibility to pest and disease outbreaks, impacts of development, drought and a changing climate

Council Meeting Agenda 26/06/17

2 Draft Boroondara Tree Strategy 2017

Abstract

Council’s Tree Policy 2010 and Tree Management Guidelines 2010 currently provide the policy basis for decision making regarding the City’s park and street trees. It was identified in 2014 that Council’s policy framework for managing its portfolio of tree assets required review in order to better respond to a range of factors including legislative changes, aging tree population, and risk. The 2016-17 Council Annual Plan contains an action to complete the development of a new Boroondara Tree Strategy. This is a ten year strategy with a separate Action Plan.

The proposed vision in the draft Tree Strategy 2017 has arisen through gaining insights and understanding into the community’s view and aspirations regarding the City’s trees. The community has told us:

“Boroondara continues to be a place of shady trees with leafy streets and green parkland. Our trees enable us to experience the seasons, connect with nature, and contribute to our sense of wellbeing”

This strategy explores the issues and opportunities regarding the City’s trees, in the context of achieving the proposed vision, and then outlines strategic directions and actions around the following themes:

Preserving the character of our streets, parks and neighbourhoods Engaging with our community Enhancing health, wellbeing and community connectedness Managing risk and nuisance Continuing responsible stewardship and management Improving our natural environment

The key issue that has been identified is the City’s aging tree population. Without proactive management, there is a risk of:

A mass loss event. That is, a large number of trees that require removal at a similar time.

Streets that experience slow ongoing loss over a period of time, resulting in a mixture of tree sizes and a loss of avenue character.

To address this, the Strategy proposes a proactive renewal program, actively managing tree asset renewal over this critical end of life period. Other priority actions will include changing and increasing the levels of community education and engagement, particularly with respect to the aging tree population issue and site specific tree renewal projects, increasing species diversity, and planting legacy trees for the future.

There are also many important actions that will continue under this strategy based on the strong positive community feedback around existing trees and current management practices. . The complete draft Tree Strategy is available in Attachment 1.

Officers' recommendation

That Council resolve to endorse the draft Tree Strategy for community consultation. Document information

City of Boroondara Tree Strategy Page 1 of 58


Responsible director: Bruce Dobson

Environment & Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose

This purpose of this report is to seek Council endorsement of the draft tree Strategy. If endorsed, this strategy will be prepared for public exhibition and further public consultation.

2. Policy implications and relevance to council plan

This Strategy responds to the following strategic objectives in the Council Plan 2013-2017:

Strategy 9 - Parks, gardens and natural environment Strategy 13 - Managing assets

These objectives state that our natural and urban environment is improved in a sustainable way, and that assets and facilities are proactively managed to meet the community’s current and future needs. The draft Strategy is also consistent with the Boroondara Public Health and Wellbeing Plan in particular Strategy 12 objective 2, “enhance and develop our neighbourhoods to support health and wellbeing”. The draft Strategy has also drawn upon the key emerging themes from the Boroondara Community Plan consultation, and reflects the community aspirations flagged through that process.

3. Background

Policy background and context Council’s Tree Policy 2010 and Tree Management Guidelines 2010 currently provide the policy basis for decision making regarding the City’s park and street trees. It was identified in 2014 that Council’s policy framework for managing its portfolio of tree assets required review in order to better respond to a range of factors including legislative changes, aging tree population, and risk. The 2016/17 Council Annual Plan contains an action to complete the development of a new Boroondara Tree Strategy. Service background and context Council’s Tree Services area is within the Open Space portfolio in the Parks and Infrastructure Department. This team manages and maintains Council’s public realm trees, which comprise park trees, street trees, and trees on other Council-owned land. The key principles underpinning the operational elements of this service are tree health, statutory compliance and risk management. This service operates at a cost to Council of approximately $4m per annum. The technical tree health component comprises proactive tree pruning (eg, the biennial cycle for street trees), reactive tree maintenance (eg, fallen limbs), replacement tree planting, pest and disease control (eg, elm leaf beetle), and specialist tree treatments (eg, ornamental fig tree pruning in shopping strips).



The statutory compliance component of the service centres around electrical line clearance. Under the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2015 Council is required to prepare an Electric Line Clearance Management Plan, and manage its trees in accordance with that plan. This plan is reviewed annually. The risk management component focuses on risks to people, and risks to property. Council has a regime of proactive inspections of both street and park trees to ensure public safety risks are managed appropriately. Property damage risk is addressed primarily when issues are brought to Council’s attention. These issues can be addressed proactively though activities such as root barrier installations.

4. Outline of key issues/options

What the community told us As part of the strategy development process, community views were sought through an online survey and face-to-face drop-in sessions at the Ashburton and Glenferrie Road festivals. Over 500 people participated in this process. Council received a range of feedback regarding the City’s current public realm trees, and views and aspirations regarding the future of the City’s trees. These views are described in the Strategy’s vision: “Boroondara continues to be a place of shady trees with leafy streets and green parkland. Our trees enable us to experience the seasons, connect with nature, and contribute to our sense of wellbeing” This vision, and the more detailed community feedback, could be distilled down into six themes. The strategic themes in the draft Strategy have been framed around the six themes arising through community feedback:

Preserving the character of our streets, parks and neighbourhoods Engaging with our community Enhancing health, wellbeing and community connectedness Managing risk and nuisance Continuing responsible stewardship and management Improving our natural environment

Issues and opportunities 1. Aging tree population An inventory of Boroondara’s street trees, capturing information for each tree including species, location, age and size, shows that three quarters of the street tree population is mature from an arboriculture perspective. This means that in asset terms, some of these tree assets are approaching the end of life. Managing a population of mature trees presents a range of issues. Older trees do not recover as easily from damage and are less resistant to the stresses of an urban environment including susceptibility to pest and disease outbreaks, impacts of development, drought and a changing climate. Examples of places where we can currently see the impacts of the aging tree population are street trees in Mont Albert Road, Canterbury, and an avenue of park trees in St James Park, Hawthorn.



St James Park, Hawthorn Month Albert Road, Canterbury

The Strategy explores the opportunity to respond to this issue through a targeted proactive program. The implications of not taking a proactive approach is increased risk of mass loss heightened by the age of our tree population whilst the benefits of a proactive approach are that we are mitigating this risk and ensuring longevity of the existing street, park and neighbourhood character. 2. Species Diversity While Council’s street tree population includes some 323 species, around 60% of the street tree population (over 38,000 trees) is made up of only 10 species, and 35% of the population (over 22,000 trees) is represented by just three species: Pin Oaks (14%), Queensland Brush Box (13%) and London Plane Trees (8%). Species diversity is important in managing risks of pest and disease incursion and helps ensure the tree population is resilient to future weather and climate conditions. This risk is heightened by the previously flagged issue of an aging tree population. These two issues combined present elevated risk of a mass loss event. These two issues combined also present an opportunity, in that a proactive approach to tree asset renewal enables strategic species change over to occur. 3. Risk, Damage and Nuisance Boroondara’s mature street tree population exists within a highly urbanised setting and these trees can present risks to people and public and private infrastructure (for example, roots impacting fencing or damage due to fallen tree branches), and can cause nuisance to residents (for example, through leaf litter, fruit and nut litter, etc). Council has good practices for managing risks associated with its trees. There is opportunity to continue to build on these good practices by providing improved transparency and direct nexus with the vision outlined in this Strategy for processes in the Tree Management Guidelines.

Ageing trees in St James Park, Hawthorn



4. Community awareness To take a proactive approach in addressing the issues and opportunities flagged in the strategy, we need community understanding and support. Engaging the community in a well-planned, transparent, collaborative way will help ensure that residents ‘come on the journey’ to realise the objectives and vision of the strategy. Community engagement is possibly the key challenge in implementing this strategy. It is important that residents understand why the actions identified in the Strategy are being proposed, and that they understand the longer term and broader community benefit that these actions will achieve. 5. Shade There are opportunities to prioritise planting of additional new canopy trees in strategic locations. Shade from canopy trees helps cool the local environment and protects people from risks associated with sun exposure. Areas that would benefit from an increase of natural shade (tree canopy) are where concentrations of pedestrian activity exist such as children’s playgrounds, along walking and shared paths, and near communities more vulnerable or exposed to the Urban Heat Island. This Strategy has been developed in conjunction with the draft Shade Policy and reflects the principles, strategic direction, and actions in that draft Policy. 6. Legacy trees of the future Through consultation, the community told us how much they value trees. In particular, many residents provided feedback about specific trees that were central in their memories and experience. For example, the White Karee tree in Riversdale Park conjured memories of playing in the park and climbing the tree as a child. Council’s many parks and reserves provide opportunities for additional tree plantings. The more unconstrained setting of parks and reserves allows selection and planting of a broader range of tree species that have potential to become legacy trees of the future. These would include tree species that will become very large canopy trees or may be rare in our current landscape. 7. Biodiversity Council received strong community feedback regarding the role trees play in improving our natural environment. Boroondara has a sound biodiversity management framework, including the Urban Biodiversity Strategy 2013- 2023 and the former Biodiversity Corridor Plan (2005). We can continue to build and enhance on this through this strategy. Areas of significance including biodiversity corridors have been mapped and overlayed onto the network of streets. Council’s existing street and park tree planting program has the capacity to prioritise biodiversity outcomes by careful selection of tree species in streets and parks close to biodiversity corridors and environmentally sensitive or significant areas



Strategic directions and actions The key issue identified in the Strategy is the City’s aging tree population. A key action in the strategy therefore is to introduce proactive renewal of ageing street and park trees. This is a marked difference from our current approach which is mainly reactive - planting new trees where trees have died, and removing trees as a last resort where risk issues have been identified. A proactive renewal program would initially target streets and avenues of over-mature trees and, for example, might see the renewal and replanting of every second or third tree, followed by removal and replanting of the remaining trees once the new trees are well established (say 5 - 10 years). This step is important to the future management of trees in the City. It is also likely to receive a strong community reaction from residents where it is proposed to remove large and established trees in their streets. A second issue identified was a low level of species diversity, particularly for the three most common species found in the Boroondara’s streets:

Scientific Name Common Name Number % of Population

Quercus palustris Pin Oak 9,244 14%

Lophostemon confertus

Queensland Brush Box 8,250 13%

Platanus x acerifolia London Plane Tree 5,062 8%

The two issues coupled together present a greater risk for Council to respond to, as trees approaching end of life are more susceptible to the effects of externalities such as climate variability and disease, while a single species dominance increases the risk of a mass loss event. Given the proposed action of taking a proactive approach to managing end of lifecycle renewal, and taking the opportunity to expand species diversity through that process, this Strategy proposes increased levels of community education and engagement. Specifically, we will:

Introduce a proactive education program regarding an aging tree population and associated issues

introduce a process for targeted engagement about street and park tree renewal

The Strategy also flags a number of other opportunities such as:

Tree planting for increased shade Planting future legacy and feature trees Planting to improve and support biodiversity

These opportunities link in with the community feedback that trees play an important role in people’s sense of wellbeing, and their broader connection with a sense of place, as well as providing a strong link with environmental objectives.



The Strategy proposes key actions to proactively pursue opportunities for improving walkability and active lifestyles, such increased canopy plantings, and the creation of landmark and future legacy trees, that resonate with people and contribute to a special sense of place. Specifically, we will:

increase tree planting in strategic areas to enhance shade and

enjoyment of open space develop a program to plant legacy trees for the future including large

canopy trees Increase opportunities to include trees in Water Sensitive Urban Design

(WSUD) projects Continue to include tree planting opportunities to improve biodiversity

outcomes.

The Strategy acknowledges that there are risks associated with trees in an urban environment, and in different circumstances trees can cause nuisance or inconvenience to residents. There are also conflicts between trees and Council infrastructure which need to be considered in future planting decisions. The Strategy flags the importance of Council’s stewardship and management role. Aligning with vision, the Strategy states that individual decisions about specific trees or issues will always be made in the context of the broader impact on streetscape and neighbourhood character, and that the streetscape and neighbourhood character is of primary importance. Specific actions are that we will:

Continue to make decisions about individual trees or issues in the

context of the broader streetscape and neighbourhood character Develop new Tree Management Guidelines that provide a clear

direction for maintenance, operational management, and risk management processes

Ensure renewal and replacement decisions are underpinned by the principle of the best tree for location

A specific issue in managing Council trees and street trees in particular, is species selection. Issues and considerations include:

What to plant under power lines Allergies and irritations (for example, the Laganaria, whose seed

capsules are filled with irritating hairs giving rise to the colloquial name of “itchy bomb tree”)

Levels of fruit and nut drop Levels of root invasiveness Climate change resilience Indigenous versus exotic Shade provision along key walking routes



Species decision making will be guided by the vision of this strategy, to retain the existing street, park and neighbourhood character, and the principle of selecting the best tree for the location. A continued focus on canopy trees is a key element, consistent with the vision. The development of new Tree Management Guidelines will be a key action that will cover a range of issues.

Key directions and content will include:

Species selection guidelines that implement the principle of the best tree for the location. This will address risk, damage and nuisance, streetscape character, species diversity and resilience, allergies and other human impacts, shade, other principals such as natives and exotics

Key processes, such as tree removal, tree replacement Risk management processes and mitigation measures. For example when and why root barriers are utilised.

5. Consultation/communication

As part of the strategy development process, community views were sought through an online survey and face-to-face drop-in sessions at the Ashburton and Glenferrie Road festivals. Over 500 people participated in this process. Community consultation was undertaken to gain knowledge and insights in to the community’s attitudes and views, and their future vision or aspirations regarding the City’s trees. There were 337 people who participated in the community survey, and approximately 170 participated in the pop-up sessions. The online survey explored the question of “Why do Trees matter?” It explored what people liked about trees in Boroondara, what they saw as the long term benefits, management issues and how important they thought trees were to the future liveability of Boroondara. 95.5% thought that trees in streets and parks were very important to the future liveability of Boroondara.

A summary of consultation findings is provided in the Community Engagement report in Attachment 3.

The Tree Strategy consultation dovetailed in with the broader Boroondara Community Plan consultation that was undertaken over a similar time. Parks, gardens and green spaces featured strongly in what people value, with “Retaining trees in our parks, streets, and on private property” being a specific theme of interest. Consultation with Council departments was undertaken via workshops to ensure concerns and aspirations are understood and considered. The workshops included staff from Parks and Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainability, Statutory Planning, Asset Management, Transport, Customer Service and Communications.



Once the draft Strategy is endorsed by Council, public consultation will be undertaken in the second half of 2017. This will involve seeking community comment and feedback through the following media:

leader newspaper and Boroondara Bulletin web site and social media channels direct emails to respondents of previous consultation that indicated they

wanted to be kept informed targeted information sessions relevant to key strategy themes and

issues, such as aging trees and species diversity

Develop and distribute a FAQ document related to tree life expectancy and the implementation plan for proactive tree renewal.

6. Financial and resource implications

The draft Tree Strategy Action Plan includes a range of themed actions. Some of these actions will be business as usual actions, or action that could be absorbed in to existing budgets. A number of actions will require business cases to explore and confirm the precise scope and timing of the action in the context of the clear direction outlined in the strategy. The draft Tree Strategy Action Plan can be viewed in Attachment 2. The key actions arising from the strategy, addressing the renewal challenges of an asset category with a large portion of assets at or near the end of their useful life, are to:

Introduce a proactive education program regarding an ageing tree population and associated issues


While a detailed business case will be required to further inform the methodology and cost of such a program, the following high-level scenario is provided as an indication of the potential costs arising from this strategy The program will require more detailed asset condition data, specifically being more refined data about remaining useful life of tree assets, and an evidence-based long term renewal plan will need to be established. The program will also require municipal wide community education and awareness, and then a street or project specific community engagement program. As an example, on a street by street basis, the program might involve the removal and replanting of every second tree, with a follow up cycle addressing the alternate trees 5 to 10 years later. This process will involve a high level of consultation with affected residents. A program such as that described above would likely cost in the vicinity of $200,000 to $400,000 per annum, depending on a range of variables including:

The number and size of replacement trees Time between renewal stages for each street



Flow on operational savings in decreased reactive work due to

increased preventative work Flow on impact on current reactive in-fill planting program Relationship between tree renewal program and other capital renewal

programs The cost of tree replacements under this approach is not necessarily an additional full cost to Council, as these trees will need to be removed and replaced one way or another at a point in time. This program will be bringing forward the costs and incurring them in a deliberate and strategic way so as to maintain the street, park and neighbourhood character that the tree population provides.

7. Governance issues

The implications of this report have been assessed in accordance with the requirements of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. None of the implications of this report have the potential to contravene the rights outlined in the Charter. The officers responsible for this report have no direct or indirect interests requiring disclosure.

8. Social and environmental issues

Trees are a key resource and asset in supporting current and future liveability in Boroondara with all residents benefiting from the trees planted and maintained by Council. The impacts of trees in an urban environment can be considered on many levels including social, recreational and health. Boroondara’s trees provide a number of benefits including:

Contributing to amenity, valued character and identity of the city Providing historical and cultural heritage value Encouraging people outdoors and to connect with nature Providing shade and cooling Assisting with health and well being Reducing air pollution Assisting with storm water run off Providing habitat and biodiversity Filter air pollution to create cleaner microclimates Contributing towards carbon sequestration

The Tree Strategy addresses a range of issues and opportunities including:

Areas of vulnerable communities Loss of biodiversity Liveability impacts Aging tree population Urban heat island and climatic impacts Future-proofing and risk mitigation of the asset portfolio Legacy and significant trees for the future Impacts of extreme weather events



9. Conclusion

The draft Tree Strategy has considered and reviewed Council’s current tree management practises and processes. This strategy has been informed by early community consultation, Council’s tree data and contemporary research to determine issues and opportunities to ensure a healthy and diverse tree legacy for current and future generations.

Manager: Andrew Mackinnon, Group Manager Parks and Infrastructure Report officer: Clare Hart, Acting Senior Coordinator Open Space, Parks and

Infrastructure


Tree Strategy 2017 (DRAFT) 1

Tree Strategy 2017

A Strategy to address the management of all trees in the public realm.

(draft)

Responsible Directorate: Environment and infrastructure Authorised by: Council Date of adoption: <Date> Review date: 2027

Council Meeting Agenda 26/06/17______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________City of Boroondara Tree Strategy Page 12 of 58

Tree Strategy 2017 (DRAFT) 2

Table of contents

1. Executive summary ............................................................... 1

2. Introduction ............................................................................ 22.1. Strategy and Policy context 22.2. Regional Context 3

3. Background and Context ...................................................... 33.1. The City’s trees 33.2. Trees have many benefits 43.3. What the community told us 43.4. Canopy coverage 83.5. Current management of public trees 9

4. Key Issues .............................................................................. 104.1. Ageing tree population 104.2. Species diversity 114.3. Risks and damage to private and public assets 12

5. Opportunities ......................................................................... 125.1. Strategic renewal of ageing avenues of street trees 135.2. Community awareness and engagement 135.3. Tree planting for increased shade 135.4. Planting legacy trees of the future 145.5. Tree planting to support biodiversity 155.6. Selection of best tree for location 15

6. Vision and Strategy ............................................................... 176.1. Vision 176.2. Strategic themes 17

7. Implementation and monitoring ........................................... 20

8. References.............................................................................. 20



Draft Tree Strategy 2017 1

1. Executive summary The City of Boroondara is home to a vibrant and healthy street and park tree population. These trees are important for maintaining the highly sought after character of Boroondara’s urban landscapes. They provide much needed shade as well as host of other key benefits to the community including environmental benefits such as air pollution removal, storm water interception and carbon sequestration.

Detailed engagement with the Boroondara community reflects the positive attitudes towards and concerns for this tree population. Over 95% of the 337 people, who completed the online Tree survey between December and March 2017 thought that trees were very important to the future liveability of Boroondara. Added to this, tree canopy mapping has demonstrated that Boroondara has a very high canopy cover, a position that many other Local Government Authorities are striving to achieve.

However, 75% of the street tree population is of mature age. These trees contribute to the amenity and character of the area but pose a risk of eventual decline, removal and renewal. The street tree population is also dominated by a few species including Pin Oaks, Queensland Brush Box and Plane Trees, which increases risks associated with low diversity. A precice data set is currently not available for trees in parks and other open space however it is considered that many of these trees will be of a similar maturity but with a greater species diversity. Large mature trees pose ongoing concerns in constructed landscapes, particularly conflicts with infrastructure and must be managed with good knowledge and best practice.

There are a number of focus areas into the future for how Council manages its public trees. Reviewing the way Council engages with the community, provides education and advocates for trees, how it will strategically renew older trees to ensure minimal loss of landscape amenity over time, planting shade trees in areas of need for people, planting future legacy trees and using trees to act as corridors between areas of biodiverse value are all opportunities that Council will pursue through this strategy.

Public trees are currently governed by a Tree Policy and associated Tree Management Guidelines which were endorsed in 2010. This Tree Strategy will supersede the existing Tree Policy and a review of the Tree Management Guidelines will be a key action arising from this Tree Strategy.

Reflecting the community feedback this strategy sets a clear vision for the future.

“Boroondara continues to be a place of shady trees, with leafy streets and green parklands. Our trees enable us to experience the seasons, connect with nature and contribute to our sense of wellbeing.”

Council will achieve this through adhering to a set of key themes within its tree management program:

1. Preserving the character of our streets and neighbourhoods

2. Engaging with our community

3. Improving health, wellbeing and community connectedness

4. Managing risk and nuisance

5. Continuing responsible stewardship and management

6. Improving our natural environment

Accompanying this strategy, an Action Plan has been developed to define how Council’s tree planning and operations will be amended to address the identified challenges and opportunities and to maintain the valuable tree asset well into the future.




2. IntroductionIn the Woiwurrung language of the original Wurundjeri clan, ‘Boroondara’ means ‘where the ground is thickly shaded’. This is how the area looked in 1837, when Robert Hoddle surveyed the district and declared it the ‘Parish of Boroondara’. The City of Boroondara is now renowned for its leafy streets and parks with established trees that contribute significantly to the area’s identity, sense of place, heritage, environmental values and liveability. It is a highly sought-after residential environment with high levels of amenity.

Results from an array of community engagement show that one of the reasons people choose to live in Boroondara is the leafy green streets and extent of well-maintained public green open space. Trees are extremely important in maintaining and retaining the city’s liveability factor and they are a key asset for Council, to be invested in for the future. The value of trees to the municipality is recognised in both the Community Plan and Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (2013-17). Feedback from the initial extensive consultation phase for the Boroondara Community Plan identifies ‘Parks and Green Spaces’ and ‘The Environment’ as priority themes.

There are approximately 130,000 Council-managed trees in the city: around half within open space and half as street trees. Base level data held for the 64,000 street trees contains information regarding their species, age and size. There is currently a more limited dataset held for Council’s park trees.

Boroondara’s mature tree population, while being one of the primary contributors to public amenity and neighbourhood character, is also a risk management priority. Around 75% of street trees are mature, meaning they have reached their prime of their life and will require significant maintenance and care as they grow older, eventually requiring removal and replacement. The many benefits associated to health and well-being, mitigating environmental stresses, increase in biodiversity outcomes and overall amenity and neighbourhood character need to be balanced with the management of end of life issues. These issues include damage to infrastructure, landscape amenity loss, loss of shade, pest and disease incursion, and loss of space available on privately owned land for future trees.

2.1. Strategy and Policy context There are many trees within the municipality. This strategy addresses trees on Council managed land, including street and park trees. This strategy does not address trees on private land. Council influences protection of trees on private land through its Tree Protection Local Law and Planning Controls. This strategy supports Council’s vision by addressing the following objectives in the Council Plan 2013-17:

The character of our neighborhood is protected and improved

Our natural and urban environment is improved in a sustainable way

This strategy fits within the context of the Health and Wellbeing Plan (2013-2017) and Council Plan (2013-2017). It also aligns with other Council strategies including the Urban Biodiversity Strategy 2013 - 2023 and the Boroondara Open Space Strategy (BOSS) to achieve the broader objectives for tree outcomes across the municipality.

Private trees are not actively managed by Council. Instead they are protected through planning controls and local laws:

Boroondara’s Tree Protection Local Law covers most of the municipality and requires Local Lawpermits for tree removal, some pruning and works occurring near trees.Planning controls include areas that are protected under a Significant Landscape Overlay, whichrequires a planning permit for tree removal and pruning.

This Tree Strategy will supersede the Tree Policy 2010. The Tree Management Guidelines 2010, which currently sit under the Tree Policy, will be updated following adoption of this strategy.




2.2. Regional Context

Resilient Melbourne

Melbourne was selected as one of the first 32 cities around the world to become a member of the 100 Resilient Cities network. Resilient Melbourne sets out the first resilience strategy for Greater Melbourne. It is a joint project of 32 metropolitan Melbourne councils, Melbourne’s academic, business and community sectors, and the Victorian Government, supported by the “100 Resilient Cities” initiative. The project has set a flagship action to develop a Metropolitan Melbourne Urban Forest Strategy which has a primary aim to “extend and link existing urban greening, reforestation and nature initiatives across Melbourne, to improve wellbeing and reduce our exposure to hazards such as heatwaves and flooding”. Council resolved on 22 August 2016 to support in principle the vision, objectives and implementation of the Resilient Melbourne strategy.

Plan Melbourne

This Victorian State Government plan outlines how Melbourne will grow for the next 35 years through integrated land-use, transport and infrastructure planning. Recent changes by the Victorian Government have seen updates to the Planning Scheme dictating areas of required open space on new development lots. Outcome 6 of this plan is that Melbourne will be a sustainable and resilient city. A key direction is to make the city greener and cooler. A key action is to support a cooler Melbourne by greening urban areas, buildings, transport corridors and open spaces to create an urban forest.

Electrical Line Clearance Guidelines

The Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Regulations 2015 require tree pruning and management that protects the safety and functionality of electrical power lines. These are set by Energy Safe Victoria as the responsible authority. Council prepares an annual Electric Line Clearance Management Plan that outlines our tree management and compliance with these regulations.

3. Background and Context

3.1. The City’s trees Council has approximately 64,000 street trees and a similar number of park trees. The street tree population includes approximately 323 species. Around 60% of the street tree population comprises ten species, and over a third of the population is represented by three species - Pin Oaks, Queensland Brush Box and London Plane Trees Noting that these species contribute a significant amount of amenity and shade for Boroondara. Further tree species diversity exists within our parks and reserves and whilst a precise dataset is not yet available, the completion of this dataset will provide a comprehensive understanding of all Council managed trees in Boroondara.

To further understand the function and value of our street trees, the metrics of each street tree was inputted into a valuation tool called i-Tree Eco (developed by the U.S, Forest Service), used worldwide to attribute a dollar value to urban trees, including their environmental benefits. This information is a snapshot of what the street trees in Boroondara provide.

Based on the attributes and composition of Council’s portfolio of tree assets (number, species, and size), modeling1 suggests that the City’s street trees:

Remove over 13 tonnes of pollution from the air each year including Sulphur Dioxide, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide

Store over 24,000 tonnes of carbon

1 i-Tree Eco 2016




Sequester over 772 tonnes of carbon per year

Produce over 2,500 tonnes of oxygen per year

Provide 780 acres of canopy coverage

Prevent 24,300 cubic meters of storm water runoff per year

Have an overall worth of $274m

3.2. Trees have many benefits Trees provide health and wellbeing benefits. Research suggests that trees can reduce in daytime temperatures by between five and 20 degrees Celsius2, encourage motorists to drive more slowly through the provision of uniform, avenue like plantings along streets creating safer streets3, and reduce air, water and soil pollution. 4

Research around the environmental benefits of trees suggests that trees can sequester carbon, particulate matter and other air pollutants5; reduce the severity of localised flooding by intercepting stormwater6; connect biodiversity locations by creating green corridors7, and are one of the most effective mechanisms for reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect (that is, the build-up of heat in hard surfaces during periods of hot weather)8

Well managed trees can also provide economic benefits. Research in this field suggest that trees can improve retail activity by up to 20% with shoppers spending longer periods and more money in retail areas that are well treed and landscaped9; increase house prices, as buyers favour areas with healthy and well maintained street trees 10, reduce energy use in buildings (a 10% increase in deciduous tree cover can reduce heating and cooling costs in houses by 5-10%)11.

3.3. What the community told us To inform the draft Strategy, community consultation was undertaken between December 2016 and March 2017 with over 500 people engaged through an online survey and face-to-face drop-in sessions at the Ashburton and Glenferrie Road festivals. Participants noted the benefits and management issues relating to trees and identified their key concerns and preferences for the future of tree management in the municipality.

Most people emphasised the value and importance of trees in open spaces in Boroondara and were keen to contribute to the discussion around their management.

Respondents thought trees were highly connected to many aspects of place and neighbourhood in Boroondara and that they added character to the area. Over 95% of respondents thought trees were very important for the future liveability of Boroondara.

The overall key themes identified in these community consultations were:

the need to maintain the local green character of Boroondara at the local street level as well as through feature or significant trees;

2 Akbari, 1997 3 Mullaney, 2014 4 Mullaney, 2014 5 Mullaney, 2014 6 Mullaney, 2014 7 Mullaney, 2014 8 Silva, 2010; Rozenzwieg, 2009; Gober, 2010; Adams Smith, 2014; GHD, 2011 9 Wolf, 2015 10 Plant, 2015; Pandit, 2016 11 Simpson and McPherson, 1996




the value of trees in providing urban cooling, shade, and clean air;

how essential trees are for habitat, especially for birds;

concerns about the impact of development on trees;

tree species selection (including on private property), with a preference for a better choice of trees planted, such as sustainable species suited to the area; and

the need for education and information about tree management decisions, especially tree removal, and opportunities for residents to engage with council on tree selection and maintenance decisions.

Consultation revealed that people value trees in their direct surrounds as well as significant trees and attractive treed locations across the municipality. They value trees for a broad range of reasons, from shade to habitat and even trees for climbing.

Overall, participants valued trees most highly for their shading and cooling (25.6%) and for habitat for native birds and animals (23.3%). In comments, many people simply said in relation to the reasons they value trees, ‘They’re all important.’

Figure 1: Survey results for which tree benefits people valued most

Survey participants were also asked to consider what they particularly felt was important for the long-term future of trees in Boroondara. While local character was still a strong theme, the concern of urban cooling had a greater number of responses across the three rankings.




Figure 2: Survey results for which long term tree benefits are important to people

The two most important tree management issues for people were the impact on trees from development, with comments that any trees removed during development should be reinstated, and selection of sustainable street and park species that were suitable for each location when planting new trees in Boroondara.

Figure 3: Tree Management Issues identified by the community




When asked to contemplate long-term tree management, participants emphasised development impacts as the top issue.

Figure 4: Long term tree management issues identified by the community

Respondents could further comment on whether there was anything else related to tree management issues that they thought was important. The top three results focus in more detail on maintenance, tree selection and replacement:

professional maintenance of trees (not excessive ugly pruning – 24%), better choice of trees planted (size/mess/variety/pollen – 20%), and replace trees and plant more (18%).

Results from the community engagement sessions show that residents wanted more information about how street trees are selected, and were keen to engage with Council around the maintenance of trees and to understand the practical elements of tree management.




Figure 5: Items that the community would like more information on

3.4. Canopy coverage

While this is not an Urban Forest Strategy (which would look at all trees within a municipality, including private realm trees) Council trees play an important role in the overall urban forest, and urban forest principles, issues and opportunities are important and relevant in this Strategy which looks at all public realm trees.

Overall tree canopy cover across the Boroondara municipality is estimated at 28%, which was calculated as part of an Australia-wide study by the University of Technology Sydney in 2014 to measure canopy cover in every urban Local Government Areas (LGA). Tree canopy cover is the area of urban tree canopy that covers land area when viewed from above. This study was undertaken as part of the 202020 Vision funded by Horticulture Australia Limited. Tree canopy cover is a useful assessment of whole tree population benefits. Tree canopy cover measures the breadth of canopy biomass. This allows for exact measurements of shade provision and storm water interception which individual tree counts cannot measure. This calculation is only quantitative. It is unable to determine the health, species distribution or structure of the canopy.




Figure 6. Tree canopy cover measurements for Victorian LGA’s. Adapted from Jacobs et al, 2014

At 28%, Boroondara has a very high canopy cover when compared to similar municipalities across Metropolitan Melbourne. This is due primarily to leafy residential streets, many large private blocks that continue to host mature trees, well-treed parks and gardens, and native trees along the Yarra River and Gardiners Creek corridors. Many other urbanised LGAs aspire to achieve canopy cover results such as Boroondara’s.

A further research paper quantifying change to urban tree canopy cover in public and private space provides a detailed analysis of the aerial imagery shows that there is considerable ‘churn’ in tree canopy within the private realm12. This means that trees are being removed while others grow; small trees are replacing larger trees. Balwyn lost the most percentage of canopy cover through construction activity, with a large proportion of the canopy cover decrease coming from private land-use areas.

3.5. Current management of public trees The City of Boroondara currently manages its street and park tree population as outlined in a technical management framework entitled Boroondara Tree Management Guidelines 2010. The overarching Tree Policy that supports these guidelines includes the following statements.

Tree management standards consistent with best practice will be maintained at all times.

The community will be consulted and informed about all major projects involving tree removal, tree planting and other major tree management programs.

Trees will be protected from development, construction, temporary works and other activities that may have a negative impact upon tree health.

Trees will be selected for planting based on their suitability for the site, performance, and potential to contribute to landscape character.

The City of Boroondara will proactively carry out tree planting in road reserves, open space and other Council managed land.

Tree pests and diseases are a component of the urban landscape and Council recognises that control measures will be required at times to maintain healthy and aesthetically pleasing landscapes

12 Kaspar 2016

Boroondara 28%




Poor performing, dead and hazardous trees will be removed and replaced.

This Tree Strategy will supersede the current Tree Policy and the Tree Management Guidelines 2010 will be reviewed and updated (to ensure best practice) as an implementation action of the Strategy.

4. Key Issues

4.1. Ageing tree population The City of Boroondara has 64,000 street trees. Aninventory of Boroondara’s street trees, captured information for each tree including species, location, age and size. According to the inventory data, three-quarters of the street tree population is mature. Managing a population of mature trees presents a range of issues. Older trees do not recover as easily from damage and are less resistant to the stresses of an urban environment including susceptibility to pest and disease outbreaks, impacts of development, drought and a changing climate.

Council is likely to face a large management investment in the near future in managing these trees over time and with their renewal and replacement consideration should also be given to creating a more age-diverse population.

Figure 7: Age of Boroondara’s Street Trees

Of the mature street tree population, 35% are from only three species: 14% are Pin Oaks, 13% are Queensland Brush Box and 8% are London Plane Trees. A limited data set is currently held for trees in parks and other open space however it is considered that these trees are of a similar maturity but will provide an overall increased species diversity across the municipality.

Without proactive renewal, Boroondara’s mature street and park trees will continue to progress into over-mature and senescent phases and require significant care. Ongoing condition data will be required for each tree to understand the actions required to manage the tree population for continued amenity, to ameliorate risk and to ensure benefits continue to accrue. The implications of not taking a proactive approach are:

a large, tree population that could decline and require removal at a similar time

alternatively, slow ongoing loss will result in a mixture of tree sizes and a loss of avenue and parklandscape character

1.6% 3.7%

18.1%

75.9%

0.2% 0.2% 0.4%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

NewPlanting

Juvenile SemiMature

Mature OverMature

Senescent Dead

Age Classes




St James Park, Hawthorn Month Albert Road, Canterbury

A proactive approach will:

ensure continuity of current streetscape and neighbourhood character provide opportunity to broaden and trial new tree species selection

continue the community’s enjoyment of street and park trees whilst future proofing for the next generations

4.2. Species diversity While Council’s street tree population includes some 323 species around 60% of the street tree population is made up of only 10 species and 35% of the population is represented by just three species: Pin Oaks, Queensland Brush Box and London Plane Trees. These species contribute a significant amount of amenity and shade for Boroondara, particularly as boulevards along residential streets, but are over the recommended limit of any one species in a population. Literature commonly cites a recommended cap of between 5% and 10% of any one species within a population13. At 14% and 13% respectively, Pin Oaks and Queensland Brush Box would be considered overly dominant within Boroondara’s asset portfolio.

Scientific Name Common Name Number % of Population

Quercus palustris Pin Oak 9,244 14%

Lophostemon confertus Queensland Brush Box 8,250 13%

Platanus x acerifolia London Plane Tree 5,062 8%

Liquidambar styraciflua Liquidamber 2,595 4%

Pyrus calleryana cv Ornamental Pear 2,516 4%

Syzygium smithii Lilly Pilly 2,454 4%

Melaleuca styphelioides Paperbark 2,358 4%

Cinnamomum camphora Camphor Laurel 2,074 3%

Lagerstroemia indica Crepe Myrtle 2,006 3%

13 Richards, 1993

Ageing trees in St James Park, Hawthorn




Acer species Maple Species 1,987 3%

Melaleuca linariifolia Paperbark 1,982 3%

Prunus cerasifera nigra Purple Leaf Plum 1,276 2%

Fraxinus raywoodi Claret Ash 1,162 2%

Grevillea robusta Silky Oak 958 1%

Quercus robur English Oak 942 1%

Fraxinus oxycarpa Desert Ash 857 1%

Melia azedarach White Cedar 822 1%

Corymbia ficifolia Red Flowering Gum 808 1%

Angophora costata Smooth Barked Apple 635 1% Ficus hillii 'Mop Top' Fig 583 1%

Table 1: Top 20 Most Common Street Tree Species

Species diversity is important in managing risks of pest and disease incursion and helps ensure the tree population is resilient to future weather and climate conditions. Elm Leaf Beetle is a current pest risk associated with our elm tree population. This is managed by soil and stem injection on a recommended biannual basis however recent years have seen this pest complete numerous lifecycles during the warmer months which has resulted in an increased defoliation of elm trees in streets and parks.

The implications of not taking a proactive approach is increased risk of mass loss heightened by the age of our tree population whilst the benefits of a proactive approach are that we are mitigating this risk and diversifying and enriching the community’s experience.

4.3. Risks and damage to private and public assets Boroondara’s mature street tree population exists within a highly urbanised setting and these trees inherently pose risks to public and private infrastructure (for example, roots impacting fencing or damage due to fallen tree branches).

An example of proactive management of risks posed by trees in this setting is the pruning of street trees to address the Electric Line Clearance Regulations. The issue of overhead power lines came up as a concern through the community engagement process and Council will continue to investigate options to achieve better outcomes for trees. These options include undergrounding of power, aerial bundling of cables, appropriate pruning of trees under power lines and a continual review of tree species for each location. Council also continues to improve stakeholder engagement with power distribution businesses to achieve better pruning outcomes for street and park trees.

Beyond this, most risk-based actions are reacting to community complaints or concerns. Reviewing operational programs and practices could identify opportunities to manage risks more proactively. Impacts by residents undertaking development can also affect the health and ability for council to retain street trees; vehicle crossovers are an example of this impact and Council currently manages this process through our Tree Management Guidelines.

5. Opportunities Boroondara has an enviable level of canopy coverage that provides cooling and shading, habitat for native birds, and attractive green corridors on neighbourhood streets. There is however some key opportunities to build on this base and ensure it can be maintained into the future.




5.1. Strategic renewal of ageing avenues of street trees There is a key opportunity to develop and implement a strategic program to progressively renew avenues in streets and parks of aging trees. This will avoid the significant landscape amenity loss that would ultimately result from avenues of declining trees requiring group removal and replacement. The current approach is reactive removal (and replacement) of individual dead or dying trees. This program would initially target streets avenues of ‘over-mature’ trees, and might require removal and replanting of every second or third tree, followed by removal of the remaining once the new trees are well established (for example, a gap of five years).

5.2. Community awareness and engagement Consultation revealed that our community cares deeply about the City’s trees, however have limited knowledge of issues relating to a mature street tree population and low species diversity.

To take a proactive approach in addressing these issues, we need community understanding and support. Engaging the community in a well-planned, transparent, collaborative way will help ensure that residents ‘come on the journey’ to realise the objectives and vision of the strategy. Community engagement is possibly the key challenge in implementing this strategy. Having high-level, ongoing support for the new direction in street and park tree renewal and sending consistent, clear messages will help to smooth the change process.

5.3. Tree planting for increased shade There are opportunities to prioritise planting of additional new canopy trees in strategic locations.

Shade from canopy trees helps cool the local environment and protects people from risks associated with sun exposure. Areas that would benefit from an increase of natural (canopy) shade are where concentrations of pedestrian activity exist such as childrens’ playgrounds, along walking and shared paths, and near communities more vulnerable or exposed to the Urban Heat Island.




Figure 8: Areas of high pedestrian activity across the Municipality: Schools, bike paths, parks and retail/commercial areas

Certain social demographics are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and the Urban Heat Island Effect. These include young children, older people living alone, those who don’t speak English at home and those most socially economically disadvantaged. In thinking about a future street tree planting and renewal programs, all of these locations should be prioritised to ensure continuity of shade provision to protect these more vulnerable populations.

5.4. Planting legacy trees of the future Council’s many parks and reserves provide opportunities for significant additional tree plantings. The more unconstrained setting of parks and reserves allows selection and planting of a broader range of tree species that have potential to become the ‘legacy trees of the future’. These would include tree species that will become very large canopy trees or may be rare in our current landscape. An example of a rare tree in cultivation is the White Karee (Searsia pendulina) in Riversdale Park.

Emerging local research is identifying trees species that can perform well in the constrained urban context and show resilience to warmer temperatures and more extreme weather.




5.5. Tree planting to support biodiversity Boroondara has a dedicated biodiversity management and enhancement program and the community rates biodiversity as one its top priorities when thinking about trees. Areas of significance including biodiversity corridors have been mapped and overlayed onto the network of streets. Council’s existing street and park tree planting program has the capacity to prioritise biodiversity outcomes by careful selection of tree species in streets and parks close to biodiversity corridors, significant sites and encouragement areas (see map below).

Figure 9: Boroondara’s biodiversity corridors and encouragement sites across Boroondara

5.6. Selection of best tree for location There are a range of issues, opportunities and public opinions that are relevant to decisions about species selection. Through consultation, the community has told us that maintaining existing street, park and neighborhood character is paramount. This vision provides an opportunity to ensure that individual decisions about specific trees or issues will always be made in the context of the broader impact on




streetscape and neighbourhood character, and that the streetscape and neighbourhood character is of primary importance.

In terms of species selection, there are a range of tensions and issues to consider. These include:

What to plant under power lines

Allergies and irritations (for example, the Laganaria, whose seed capsules are filled with irritating hairs giving rise to the colloquial name of “itchy bomb tree”)

Levels of fruit and nut drop

Levels of root invasiveness

Climate change resilience

Indigenous versus exotic

Shade provision along key walking routes

There is never a single “right tree” for any location, and choosing the best tree, in many cases, requires a balancing of competing benefits and issues. There is an opportunity through this strategy to espouse the principle of “best tree for location” in tree selection decisions.




6. Vision and Strategy

6.1. Vision Through the community consultation and engagement process there was considerable feedback on how trees are integral to the look and feel of neighbourhood character, offering a connectedness to nature and contributing to the overall amenity of the streets and parks of Boroondara. This was further reflected in the many favorite trees identified across the municipality and the benefits they bring.

The vision for the City relating to its trees is that:

“Boroondara continues to be a place of shady trees, with leafy streets and green parklands. Our trees enable us to experience the seasons, connect with nature and contribute to our sense of wellbeing”

6.2. Strategic themes Council will achieve this vision through the strategic themes outlined below. Each theme describes our objectives and what our action focus areas will be. This strategy will be supported by the Tree Strategy Action Plan, which outlines prioritised actions that align with the themes below.

Preserving the character of our streets, parks and neighborhoods

The collective value of trees is a critical element in defining the streetscape and neighborhood character. This is of primary importance, and individual decisions about specific trees or issues will always be made in the context of the broader impact on streetscape and neighborhood character. Canopy cover will continue to be a key focus, consistent with the above vision.

Key actions will center on ensuring key risks, such as maturing tree population, are proactively managed so neighborhood and streetscape character is maintained over a long term.

We will:

Introduce proactive renewal of ageing street and park trees

Select tree species based on their contribution to character and continue to manage risk,maintenance and legislative requirements

Continue to make decisions about individual trees or issues in the context of the broaderstreetscape and neighbourhood character

Engaging with our community

This strategy is both about the City’s tree assets, but also about the people that enjoy and value them.

Key actions will center around engaging the community and raising awareness community around critical issues, such as the aging tree population issue, and also participating at a local implementation level on significant change initiatives such as proactive street tree renewal.

We will:

Introduce a proactive education program regarding an ageing tree population and associatedissues


improve information available to our community about trees




Enhancing health, wellbeing and community connectedness

Trees play a key role in improving health, wellbeing and community connectedness of the Boroondara community.

Key actions will be to proactively pursue opportunities for improving walkability and active lifestyles, such increased canopy plantings, and the creation of landmark and future legacy trees, that resonate with people and contribute to a special sense of place.

We will:

increase tree planting in strategic areas to enhance shade and enjoyment of open space

develop a program to plant legacy trees for the future including large canopy trees

Managing risk and nuisance

There are risks associated with trees in an urban environment, and in different circumstances they can cause nuisance or inconvenience to residents.

Key actions will be to ensure renewal and replacement decisions are underpinned by the principle of the best tree for location, and to develop new Tree Management Guidelines that reflect the vision and objectives of this Strategy.

We will:

Develop new Tree Management Guidelines that provide a clear direction for maintenance, operational management, and risk management processes

Continue to make decisions and manage risk and nuisance with the objective of preserving our streets and neighbourhoods

Continuing responsible stewardship and management

This strategy will ensure that the central role Council plays in stewardship and management of street and park trees aligns with the community vision.

The key action will be to ensure Council has clear, robust maintenance and management processes in place to deliver the objectives of the Strategy; that these are clear and easily understood by the community, and consistently and professionally administered by Council administration.

We will:

Develop new Tree Management Guidelines that provide a clear direction for maintenance, operational management, and risk management processes

Develop community information, FAQ’s or handbooks, to support and explain Council’s operation services and processes.

Improving our natural environment

Trees play an integral part in improving the natural environment, and how the community connects with nature.

Key actions will center on exploring and implementing storm water and biodiversity improvements, as well as the strategic use of trees in Council projects to provide opportunities to connect and interact with nature.

We will:

Increase opportunities to include trees in water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) projects




Continue to include tree planting opportunities to improve biodiversity outcomes

Continue appropriate tree species planting to enhance biodiversity corridors and zones




7. Implementation and monitoring The strategy will be implemented through the Tree Strategy Action Plan, which outlines prioritised actions that align with the strategic themes in this strategy.

Council will monitor key performance indicators to enable progress reporting over time:

Species diversity profile (every 5 years)

Tree age profile (every 5 years)

Canopy cover change (every 5 years)

Number of trees planted (annual)

Number of trees removed (annual)

8. References Akbari, H., D. M. Kurn, et al. (1997). "Peak power and cooling energy savings of shade trees." Energy and Buildings 25 (2): 139-148.

Akbari, H., M. Pomerantz, et al. (2001). "Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas." Solar Energy 70 (3): 295-310.

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (2014) Cool Cities for Cool Policies: Best Practices for Mitigating Urban Heat Islands in North American Cities, Report no U 1405.

Clark J.R., N.P. Matheny, G. Cross and V. Wake, 1997. A model of urban forest sustainability. Journal of

Arboriculture. 23(1):17-30.

Dunn, J. (2016) Improved neighbourhoods generate higher property prices. Australian Financial Review, 5 Feb. http://www.afr.com/news/special-reports/202020-vision/generating-higher-property-prices-through-improved-neighbourhoods-20160204-gmlsxf

Gill, S., Handley, J., Ennos, R., & Pauleit, S. (2007). Adapting cities for climate change: the role of the

green infrastructure. Built Environment 33(1): 115–133.

GHD (2011b). City of Melbourne: Report for Urban Heat Island Effect, Mitigation Strategies and Planning Policy Approaches. Melbourne, Vic.

i -Tree Eco 2016, Tools for Assessing and Managing Forests and Community Trees, retrieved from i-tree Eco version 6 database<https://www.itreetools.org/eco/>

Jacobs, B., Mikhailovich, N., and Delaney, C. (2014) Benchmarking Australia’s Urban Tree Canopy: An i-Tree Assessment, prepared for Horticulture Australia Limited by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney.

Kaspar J, 2016, Quantifying change to urban tree canopy cover in public and private space using simple random point sampling, University of Melbourne

Livesley, S. (2010). Energy saving benefits of shade trees in relation to water use. TREENET Proceedings of the 10th National Street Tree Symposium September 2010.

Miller, R. W., Hauer, R. J., & Werner, L. P. (2015). Urban forestry. Planning and managing urban greenspaces. Third edition. Waveland Press, Inc.

Mullaney J, Lucke T, Trueman SJ (2015) A review of benefits and challenges in growing street trees in paved urban environments. Landscape and Urban Planning 134 157-166

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, 2016. About Million Trees NYC: NYC Tree Facts.

US Forestry Service. http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/about/urban_forest_facts.shtml




Norton B, Coutts A, Livesley S, Williams N, (2013). Decision Principles for the selection and placement of green infrastructure to mitigate urban hotspots and heatwaves, Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research

Norton, B., Bosomworth K, Coutts A, Williams N, Livesley S, Trundle A, Harris R, McEvoy D (2013). Planning for a Cooler Future: Green Infrastructure to Reduce Urban Heat, Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research

Nowak, D.J., and D.E. Crane, Stevens, J.C., Hoehn, R.E., Walton, J.T., and Bond, J., 2008. A Ground-

Based Method of Assessing Urban Forest Structure and Ecosystem Services. Arboriculture & Urban

Forestry 34(6): November 2008. International Society of Arboriculture.

Pandit, R, Polyakov, M., Tapsuwan, S., Moran, T. (2013) The effect of street trees on property value in

Perth, Western Australia. Landscape and Urban Planning. Volume 110, February 2013, Pages 134–142

Plant, L. (2016) The economic value of greenspace. Real Green – The Brisbane Experience Case Studies

Richards, N.A., (1993). Reasonable guidelines for street tree diversity. Journal of Arboriculture 19(6). 344-

350.

Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W.D., Parshall, L., Lynn, B., Cox. J., Goldberg, R. Hodges, S., Gaffin, S., Slosberg, R.B., Savio, P., Dunstan, F. and Watson, M. (2009).Mitigating New York City's heat island.Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 90: 1297-1312

Simpson, J. R. and E. G. McPherson (1996). "Potential of tree shade for reducing residential energy use in California" Journal of Arboriculture 22 (1): 10-18.

Conference Proceedings 7th. Metropolitan Tree Improvement Alliance (METRIA) 7:57-65.

Van Wassenaer, P. J. E., Satel, A. L., Kenney, W. A., & Ursic, M. (2011). A framework for strategic

urban forest management planning and monitoring. Trees, people and the built environment.

Proceedings of the Urban Trees Research Conference 13–14 April 2011.

Wolf, K. L. (2005). "Business district streetscapes, trees and consumer response." Journal of Forestry 103 (8): 396-400.



Tree Strategy Action Plan

This action plan sits under the Tree Strategy 2017 for the management of all trees in the public realm. It has been developed to define how Council’s tree planning and operations will be amended to address the identified challenges and opportunities and to manage and maintain our tree asset well into the future.

1. Strategic theme: Preserving the character of our streets and neighborhoodsThe collective value of trees is a critical element in defining the streetscape and neighborhood character. This is of primary importance, and individual decisions about specific trees or issues will always be made in the context of the broader impact on streetscape and neighborhood character.

Key actions will center on ensuring key risks, such as maturing tree population, are proactively managed so neighborhood and streetscape character is maintained over a long term.

Action Priority Resources 1.1 introduce a new proactive street and park tree renewal plan addressing the City’s aging tree population and to increase species diversity for a resilient future tree population

High New program - ongoing resources required Development of educational material, planning and implementation personnel, planting and maintenance contracts (est. $200k to $400k per annum)

1.2 Provide input from a tree perspective into place focussed planning for Council projects. Medium Existing resources

1.3 Contract grow rare and unique species, where commercial nurseries are unable to service Council needs.

Medium Existing resources

1.4 Ensure streetscape upgrades/renewals/design/nodes retrofits have trees included at planning and design stage.

Low Existing resources

1.5 Investigate opportunities for an arboretum (tree botanic park), or virtual arboretum, to showcase the City’s legacy trees

Low Investigation within existingresources


______________________________________________________________________________________

Attachment 2


2. Strategic theme: Engaging with our communityThis strategy is both about the City’s tree assets, but also about the people that enjoy and value them.

Key actions will center around engaging the community and raising awareness community around critical issues, such as the aging tree population issue, and also participating at a local implementation level on significant change initiatives such as proactive street tree renewal.

Action Priority Cost2.1 Develop a community awareness program around key risks to the City’s trees assets (in particular aging tree population), and implement case by case engagement with community over implementation of streetscape renewals.

High Resources required. Included in action 1.1

2.2 Develop and implement a community engagement and communication mechanism regarding Boroondara’s Trees, enabling improved educational and information sharing with the community.


2.3 Develop an online public interactive tree map that includes base information about trees, significant and rare trees, and trees with historical significance.


3. Strategic theme: Enhancing health, wellbeing and community connectednessTrees play a key role in improving health, wellbeing and community connectedness of the Boroondara community.

Key actions will be to proactively pursue opportunities for improving walkability and active lifestyles, such increased canopy plantings, and the creation of landmark and future legacy trees, that resonate with people and contribute to a special sense of place.

Action Priority Cost3.1 Develop a “Future Legacy and Landmark Tree program” and include within Council’s existing annual tree planting program.


3.2 Ensure adequate shade provision from tree planting in areas of need, including retail areas, playgrounds, key walking routes, public transport routes, and areas of social vulnerability


3.3 Continue to provide adequate park tree shade to ensure amenity of parks to encourage residents to spend time in them




3.4 Plant new trees to encourage active recreation along walking and cycling paths Low Existing resources

4. Strategic theme: Managing Risk and Nuisance There are risks associated with trees in an urban environment and this includes a nuisance or inconvenience they can sometimes cause.

Key actions will be to ensure renewal and replacement decisions are underpinned by the principle of the best tree for location, and to develop new Tree Management Guidelines that reflect the vision and objectives of this Strategy.

Action Priority Cost 4.1 Develop new Tree Management Guidelines Key directions and content will include:

Species selection guidelines that implement the principle of the best tree for the location. This will address risk, damage and nuisance, streetscape character, species diversity and resilience, allergies and other human impacts, shade, other principals such as natives and exotics

Key processes, such as tree removal, tree replacement Risk management processes and mitigation measures. For example when and why root

barriers are utilised

High Existing resources

4.2 Continue to build and improve inventory data about Council’s street and park trees Medium Existing resources

4.3 Apply asset management principles to Council’s tree data, with a particular focus on acquiring and maintaining useful life expectancy (ULE) data on a periodic basis

Medium Resources may be required.

4.4 Investigate a corporate system to record and integrate risk data regarding claims and incidents Medium Existing resources

4.5 Align existing and new tree data with Council’s Asset Management Plan, and maintain tree data in a way that enables evidence based decision making regarding risk, maintenance, and renewal planning.




5. Strategic theme: Continuing responsible stewardship and management This strategy will ensure that the central role Council plays in stewardship and management of street and park trees aligns with the community vision.

The key action will be to develop new Tree Management Guidelines.

Action Priority Cost5.1 Develop new Tree Management Guidelines including High Existing resources

Develop community information, FAQ’s or handbooks, to support and explain Council’s operation services and processes. Including:

How trees are selected

How trees are maintained

Guidelines around management of newly planted trees

Living with your street tree

High Existing resources

5.3 Review maintenance contracts as they expire to ensure new arrangements align with the Tree Strategy’s vision and objectives.


5.4 Review all operational service levels in the context of this Tree Strategy and the Tree Management Guidelines.


5.5 Develop a Special Needs Tree Management Program, providing tailored maintenance to significant trees at risk of decline or with specialist maintenance needs

Medium Further resources may be required -estimate 25k per annum

5.6 Ensure that the 5 year capital works program aligns with tree program Medium Existing resources

5.6 Establish an internal cross-functional Tree Working Committee (eg. Planning, Infrastructure, Environment, Landscape Design, Customer Service, Risk, Urban Planning)

Low Existing resources

6. Strategic theme: Improving our Natural Environment Trees play an integral part in improving the natural environment, and how the community connects with nature.



Key actions will center on exploring and implementing storm water and biodiversity improvements, as well as the strategic use of trees in Council projects to provide opportunities to connect and interact with nature.

Action Priority Cost6.1 Explore opportunities for people to connect with nature through trees when undertaking capital projects ( eg playgrounds and building renewal projects)


6.2 Develop a street and park tree planting and renewal plan based on analysis of tree inventory and areas of strategic need e.g. for shade or biodiversity outcomes


6.3 Trial passive stormwater irrigation for street trees Low Existing resources

6.4 Map out streets that support Biodiversity outcomes and incorporate into Renewal Plan Low Existing resources



1

BOROONDARATREE STRATEGY

ENGAGEMENT SUMMARYPrepared by CoDesign StudioMarch 2017



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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION P. 3

WHODIDWEHEAR FROM? P. 4

ONLINE SURVEY

DROP IN SESSIONS

SOCIALMEDIA ENGAGEMENT

WHAT DIDWEHEAR? P. 9

OVERVIEW

THE VALUEOF TREES

FUTURE BENEFITS

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

INFORMATIONAND EDUCATION

FUTURE ENGAGAMENT

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES P. 16

NTRODUCTIONBetween December 2016 andMarch 2017, the City of Boroondara, with assistance from CoDesign Studio,engaged its residents to discuss what they value about trees in the municipality, as well as opportunities andconcerns, to inform the draftBoroondara Tree Strategy.



3

The engagement focused on a number of key activities:Online survey – a broad engagement approach that enabled detailed feedback.Pop up sessions at local events – to capture input from a cross section of the community withopportunity to quickly and easily have a say.Communications activities to promote the main engagement activities. This included social medialand local area footpath decals.

Two pop up engagement sessions were undertaken at:Ashburton Festival on Sunday February March 26th 2017.Glenferrie Festival on Sunday February March 5th 2017.

This report provides an overall summary of who we heard from as well as the key themes emerging, which willinform the draft strategy.

Above: footpath decal advertising engagement sessions

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Over five hundred people were engaged in the face to face drop ins and the online survey for the Boroondara TreeStrategy. Participants expressed the importance and value of trees in open spaces of Boroondara and were keen tocontribute to the discussion around their importance, management and building further awareness around keyissues.

Participants noted the benefits andmanagement issues relating to trees and identified their key concernsand preferences for the future of treemanagement in the municipality.

Trees were highly connected tomany aspects of place and neighbourhoods, with participants indicatingthey added character to Boroondara.

Participants wanted to knowmore about Tree selection by council but also on private property was acommon area of interest as well as broadly understanding why certain treemanagement decision are



4

made. For example, many people noticed when trees were removed in their area but often wanted tounderstandwhy. In the absence of this understanding, people were often perceived these actions ordecisions in a negative light.

Overall, residents thought trees were ‘very important’ (95.5%) for the future liveability of Boroondara.This is a strong response indicating this is a priority for the respondents.

Above: drop in engagement session 1, Ashburton. 2017



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WHO DID WE HEAR FROM?The two key engagement activities offered different and complementary approaches for different types ofstakeholders to have input to the strategy, which extend the reach of the engagement program.

The survey provided a way to have detailed input for more engaged or interested community members, or thosewith more time.

The pop up activities captured feedback from a cross section of the community that may not have gone online tocomplete a survey.

At the pop up sessions, the engagement team also had the opportunity to explain the project in more detail, helpto capture feedback from those needing a bit more assistance and answer a variety of tree related questions.

ONLINE SURVEY

A total of 337 people contributed to the Boroondara Trees online survey. While survey respondents ranged acrossall age categories from 10 to over 85 years of age, the majority were from people aged between 55 74 years, witha strong response from the 40 44 year age bracket. Those 29 year and under were not well represented, a groupthat is often difficult to engage.

More women thanmen responded to the survey (64% to 35%), as seen in the figure below.

1 2 1

811 11

3329

22

40

48 4641

16

9

3

10

Age



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Respondents were from across the municipality as highlighted in the figure below. The highest number ofrespondents were from Camberwell, Kew and Hawthorn followed by Glen Iris and Balwyn North. Interestingly,fewer responses came from people living in Ashburton, however; this location was specifically targeted with a popup engagement session, providing a way to hear from an area less engaged through the survey process.

While some respondents identified as being from local community gardening, heritage and sports groups, themajority identified as people who used local parks and playgroundsmonthly and travelled there by bicycle or onfoot. Many also selected ‘other’ and went on to state they were ‘residents’. This category could be considered forfuture surveys as it is a category many identify with. Twelve responses came from business owners.

64%

35%

1%

Response by gender

Female Male Other

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Respondents by Post Code



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DROP-IN SESSIONS

Approximately 170 people were engaged with the team at the pop up sessions. These sessions provided theopportunity for a broad cross section of the community to hear about and contribute to the tree strategyengagement. It also provided the opportunity for people who would not otherwise engage to have a say.

Above: Ashburton Festival Tree Strategy engagement pop up stallBased on observations of the facilitators, many of the participants were older locals, reflecting a similardemographic as the survey respondents. Parents with younger children also frequently engaged at the sessionswith their children drawn into conversations about favourite trees and their benefits. This perhaps also reflect theinterest from the 40 44 year age group via the survey.

Participants with a disability and those frommulticultural backgrounds had a say at the sessions through dotmocracy boards, mapping out of their favourite trees or sharing other comments that were captured byfacilitators.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

I use parks at least monthly (including playgrounds,cycling, running)

Other, please state

I am a member of a sporting group in Boroondara

I am a member of a friends group, communitygarden or gardening club in Boroondara

I own a business in Boroondara

I am a member of a heritage group in Boroondara

Interest



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Above: Glenferrie Road Festival dot mocracy board

Younger teenagers and children also had a say which is a positive outcome of these session as these groups wereunder represented in survey responses. They were both eager to share stories and to take a plant give away withplans to plant them at home or at their school. These sessions included new, existing and former residents of thearea who were attracted by the local festival activities. Many if not all participants were eager to discuss their treeissues, mark their favourite tree or otherwise share stories the good and the not so good.

Above: ‘My favourite tree’ drawing sheet, kid’s activity.

Above: active mapping. Community members mark theirfavourite tree/treed area on a Boroondaramap



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Above: a drawing from ‘My favourite tree’ kid’s activity.

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

Boroondara’s residents also had the opportunity to learn and contribute to the tree strategy via social media. AFacebook campaign, which ran between February andMarch 2017, had a reach of over 11,000 people. Thisprovided information to Facebook users about the consultation activities related to the project.

In addition, people were asked about their favourite tree. People responded by tagging friends who might beinterested and a small number of people responded to the key question. Below are there relevant responses.

Above: Facebook campaign. Responses to the question “what is your favourite tree?”.



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Maranoa gardensWollemi Pine



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WHAT DID WE HEAR?

OVERVIEW

Analysis has been undertaken of the feedback provided via face to face and online engagements.While thedetailed analysis is presented in the sections below, the overall key themes are:

> Maintaining the local green character of Boroondara, at the local street level as well as through feature /significant trees

> Providing urban cooling, shade, clean air and shade

> Providing habitat, especially for birds

> Concerns about the impact of development on trees

> Tree species selection (including on private property)

> Opportunities for education and information about treemanagement decisions

THE VALUE OF TREES

To understand how Boroondara community members value their trees, people where asked a series of questionabout their favourite trees andwhat they like or see as the benefits of trees. The results show that people valuetrees in their direct surrounds as well as significant trees and attractive treed locations across themunicipality andthey value trees for a broad range of reasons from shade to habitat and even, for some respondents, for climbing.

FAVOURITE TREE Pop up sessionsParticipants at pop up sessions were asked tomap their favourite tree in Boroondara with tactile stickers and amapof the local area. Participants frequently valued:

> Attractive trees on their street or on a street nearby

> Big, shady or significant trees

> Amix of foreign and natives

> Streets known for being tree lined.

Mapped locations often correlated with ‘places’ such as parks, shopping and nature strips and primary schools. The‘favourite trees’ results from the pop up sessions have beenmapped (below) with the Ashburton drop in session inbluemarkers and the Glenferrie Road session in greenmarkers. This can be viewed via google maps, enablingcomparison to location of significant trees in Boroondara.



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Survey results

Parallels can be drawn between the above results and the survey responses about favourite trees. The greatestnumber of responses were for ‘Trees along nature strips’ (14%), follow by a list of specific places that featuremanyof Boroondara’s formal Parks and Gardens such asMaranoa Gardens (7%) and Canterbury Gardens (7%).

In the surveys, respondents could also elaborate on why that was their favourite tree. The top four reasons were:

>Aesthetics (colour/beauty/green) (28%)

>Ambiance (calming/relaxing/quiet) (19%)

>Provide shade (18%)

>Mature trees/history/tall (17%)

OVERALL VALUE

The discussion of favourite trees was built on through other general questions about what people liked about treesandwhat were themost important benefits. Overall, shade, cooling, amenity and habitat ranked well across allforums. The benefits of trees providing ‘clean water’ in both the online survey and drop in sessions received thelowest votes. This could be interpreted as low value or limited awareness of this as a benefit.

Pop up sessions

To understand community perceptions dot mocracy were used to ask “what are themost important benefits oftrees’. People were asked to use sticky dots to vote on themes they felt weremost important and also offered postit notes to elaborate further.

The result of this voting is set out in the figure below. Overall, participants valued treesmost highly for theirshading and cooling (25.6%) and for habitat for native birds and animals (23.3%). In comments, participantswent on to specify they like trees as habitats for birds such as galahs, cockatoos, and lorikeets. It should also benoted that many people simply said ‘they’re all important’.



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ASHBURTON FESTIVAL POP UP FEEDBACK

When analysing the data from the Ashburton Drop in Session, residents commented on the significance of trees inthe area, both for aesthetic and practical reasons including providing shade and cooling, as well as for climbing andas calm green space, for apartment dwellers in particular. Overall, residents who stopped at the sessions were wellaware of trees in the area with a good understanding of species and tree history.

GLENFERRIE ROAD FESTIVAL POP UP FEEDBACK

The nature of feedback provided by the participants at Glenferrie Road Festival was of a very different nature tothose at Ashburton as it drew a broader spectrum of Boroondara residents. Residents weremore greatly focusedon the positive influences that trees bring to communities, providing an aesthetically appealing residential area.Participants oftenmentioned that they lived in apartments with no garden space, so they highly valued the trees.

Survey results



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Survey respondents also valuedmany aspects of trees, with somemore focus on their contribution to amenity. Asseen in the graph below, respondents like the ‘look and feel’ themost followed by their shade. While otherresponses were fairly evenly ranked, it is noteworthy that ‘add valuemy home’ had a very low response.

Respondents could further comment on whether there was anything else they like about trees in Boroondara. Thetop three results reinforce themes of amenity, air quality and cooling:

>Add character/aesthetics/beauty/value (25%)

>Fresh air/health concerns/carbon dioxide scrubber (15%)

>Provide shade/coolness (14%)



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Above: Angophora costata Smooth barked Apple, High street, Ashburton

FUTURE BENEFITS

The nature of the value placed on trees was further explored in the survey, with a question posed about theimportance of trees for the future.

Overall, residents thought trees were ‘very important’ (95.5%) for the future liveability of Boroondara. This is astrong response indicating this is a priority for the respondents.

Survey participants were also asked to consider what they particularly felt was important for the long term future of treesin Boroondara. While local character was still a strong theme, themore strategic concern of urban cooling had agreater number of responses across the three rankings.



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Respondents could further comment on whether there were other important tree considerations for the future ofBoroondara. The top three results reinforce themes of amenity and character as well as overall environmentalsustainability:

> Aesthetics (softer/natural/beautiful) (17%)

> Plant more trees/identity of Boroondara (16%)

> Environmental impact/sustainability (11%)

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

POP UP SESSIONS

To understandmanagement issues, dot mocracy boards were again used to identify ‘what do you think are themost important issues regarding trees”. The results of this voting are set out in the figure below, showing strongvoting on the themes of development and species selection.

People went on in comments to say that developers should be responsible for ensuring any removal of trees during

construction should be reinstated and that sustainable species suited to the area should be a preference whenplanting new trees in Boroondara.

ASHBURTON DROP-IN FEEDBACK

When analysing the data from the Ashburton Drop in Session, the predominate concern of residents related to theactivities of developers. It was often a perception that developers hadminimal regard for the trees both on streetand those being remove from blocks being developed. Participants suggested stronger repercussions for treeremoval, including larger fines.



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GLENFERRIE ROAD FESTIVAL - DROP-IN FEEDBACK

At this session, more comments were about trees providing habitat for pests and an access point for possums toproperty. A large number of comments revolved around species selection for trees in the area. Some residentswere passionate and appreciated the tree selection, whereas other members were frustrated many relating tointroduced species such as Plane trees.

FROM THE SURVEYS

Concerns about development were also reflected in survey responses.

When asked to contemplate long termmanagement, participants emphasised development impacts as the topissue.

Respondents could further comment on whether there was anything else they thought was important related totreemanagement issues. The top three results focus in more detail onmaintenance, tree selection andreplacement:

Anything else you would include in themost important treemanagement issues in Boroondara

> Professional maintenance of trees (not excessive pruning/ugly) (24%)

> Better choice of trees planted (size/mess/variety/pollen) (20%)

> Plantmore/replace trees (18%)

Finally, participants were given the opportunity to comment overall on how the public tree population is currentlymaintained and renewed. The top three themes of responses were:

> Needmore/better treemaintenance/protection (20%)

> Replace withmore appropriate trees (16%)

> Council does a good job (15%)

This was followed by themes around pruning, protectingmature trees, plantingmore natives and education.



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INFORMATION AND EDUCATION

FROM THE SURVEYS

To gain understanding of the levels of awareness and gaps in information around themaintenance and decisionsfor trees in Boroondara, survey participants were askedwhat theymost wanted to learn more about.

As reflected in current values, residents consistently mentioned tree species, and emphasised opportunities forlocals to understand the selection process.

Residents also wantedmore information about how to engage with council around themaintenance of trees andunderstand the constraints of treemanagement.

POP UP SESSIONS

Some of these topics were reflected in questions and conversations at the pop up sessions. Tree selection, bycouncil but also on private property, was a common area of interest as well as broadly understanding why certaintreemanagement decision aremade. For example, many people noticed when trees were removed in their areabut often wanted to understandwhy. In the absence of this understanding, people were often perceived theseactions or decisions in a negative light.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

In planning the next round of engagement, consideration should be given to:Continue to involve key interest groups: 40 44 and 55 74 age groups.Involve teenagers and children, perhaps through hands on activities and education.Consider opportunities to engage traders and 15 29 year oldsOpportunities to educate the community on key issues and area of interest, including tree selection andmaintenance focusing on street trees as well as controls on developers.



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Documents

2 Draft Boroondara Tree Strategy 2017 Abstract · an urban environment including susceptibility to pest and disease outbreaks, impacts of development, drought and a changing climate