Bassendean Briefings - No. 122

Council pushes ahead on Urban Forest Strategy At its June meeting, Council unanimously voted to adopt the recommendations of the Town Assets Committee to overhaul our Town’s Street Tree Master Plan and is now working towards developing an Urban Forest Management Strategy. Council also committed to progressing the program of placing our Town’s power lines underground so that we can create more room to plant significant shade trees on our road reserves. The new strategy that Council has committed to develop will have the goal of achieving at least 70% tree canopy on road reserves that will grow big enough to provide shade canopy over a large proportion of the road. Priority will be placed on new plantings in those areas of the Town where the power lines have already been put underground, with the non-power line side of the streets in other areas of the Town being the second priority. The new Street Tree Master Plan will maintain the uniformity of existing established avenues but open up the diversity of tree species which may be planted on other streets’ verges that are not already established avenues. In addition to providing shade and cooling our Town, an urban forest will provide food and habitat for birds. A 2012 study found that mature trees in urban areas will increase a property’s value by about 4.27%. By planting more trees that will grow to a good size at maturity, we will future-proof against the effects of climate change, improve the amenity of the Town, and improve property values at the same time. Bassendean Briefings August–September 2018 | Issue No. 122 A Newsletter for the residents of Ashfield, Bassendean and Eden Hill distributed by your Council