Save the Trees - Inner West Council Meeting Tuesday 24 September 2019

Inner West Tree Canopy
(Red 0-10%, Orange 11-15%, 
Yellow 16-25%)  
Source/High Resolution: Tree Canopy Map

The Amended DCP:

On the  27 August 2019 a litany of amendments were made to the Draft Tree DCP recommended by Council Officer. Minutes of Meeting

The Greens Recision Motion: 

The Greens have put a recision motion on the Council Meeting Agenda of 24 September to undo the damaging litany of amendments and adopt the officers' recommended Draft Tree DCP

• Item 13. Notice of Motion to Rescind: C0819(2) Item 1 Tree Management DCP 27 August 2019

The Draft Tree DCP was the result of extensive consultation, including leaflets to every household, and research  documented on the council's have your say website.

• Current Inner West Tree Canopy

•  Heat Mapping of the Inner West

Independent Clr Stamolis had put forward

• Item 16. Notice of Motion: A plan to increase tree canopy in Marrickville Ward 

Labor has also put forward

• Item 17. Notice of Motion: Increasing Tree Canopy 

The Group Manager Trees, Parks and Streetscapes comments on Item 17 are:

Council is currently in the process of undertaking an audit of all public (street and park) trees. This work should be complete in 2019. After the audit is complete, Council will prepare a Street Tree Strategy and Masterplan. This document will address the matter of tree canopy across the Inner West, as well as methodologies for community engagement and participation. This is a substantial project, which is due for completion in 2020.

The preparation of a Significant Tree Register has been budgeted for financial year 2020/21.

A ‘Trees on Private Land’ fact sheet is currently being developed that will provide guidance on how to maintain trees, where to plant and what species to use.

Controls relating to undergrounding of power lines would sit in a ‘Site facilities’ DCP (or similar) and would including generic controls around public utilities, telecommunications and services etc.

Westconnex Destruction of Trees

The CEO has also placed a report on the Agenda 

Report includes the result of the 27 August council resolution incorporating a  litany of amendments into the Draft Tree DCP.

Since January 2019, 211 tree permits were approved and 71 were refused. 

• Item 10. Tree DCP Amendment  
• Tree Management DCP (Amended on 27 August 2019)

Information about Inner West Council Meetings

https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/about/the-council/council-meetings/current-council-meetings

Register to Speak at the Council Meeting

The community is invited to register to speak at this council meeting. Registration to speak will close at 2pm on Tuesday 24 September. Register here.

NSW Government Target 40% Tree Canopy for Sydney

"We’re working with everyone in Sydney to plant Five Million Trees (5MT) by 2030. That’s more trees in our streets, parks, backyards, neighbourhoods and schools, so we can grow our tree canopy from 16.8%* to 40% (*source Office of Environment and Heritage, 2011)." https://5milliontrees.nsw.gov.au/about-the-project