Community consultation for the draft Urban Forest Strategy has closed. Further information about tree precinct plans and the final strategy will be available in mid 2012.
About the Urban Forest Strategy
Melbourne’s tree population is vast – we have 60,000 council owned trees, worth around $650 million. Trees are a defining part of Melbourne. We live in the world’s most liveable city and our parks, gardens, green spaces and tree-lined streets contribute enormously to this status.
But the trees are now under threat. More than a decade of drought, severe water restrictions and periods of extreme heat, combined with an ageing tree stock have put our trees under immense stress and many are now in a state of accelerated decline.
As a result, we expect to lose 27 per cent of our current tree population in the next decade and 44 per cent in the next 20 years.
Combined with this loss, Melbourne’s urban forest is facing two significant future challenges: climate change and urban growth.
The City of Melbourne’s draft Urban Forest Strategy seeks to manage this change and protect against future vulnerability by providing a robust strategic framework for the evolution and longevity of Melbourne's urban forest.
The strategy aims to:
- adapt our city to climate change
- mitigate the urban heat island effect by bringing our inner city temperatures down
- create healthier ecosystems
- become a water sensitive city
- engage and involving the community.
We will achieve this by:
- Increasing canopy cover from 22 per cent to 40 per cent by 2040.
- Increasing forest diversity with no more than five per cent of one tree species, no more than ten per cent of one genus and no more than 20 per cent of any one family.
- Improving vegetation health
- Improving soil moisture
- Improving biodiversity
- Informing and consulting with the community.
More information