We have over half a million trees in the City of Whittlesea with 387,000 trees being managed by us in streets, parks and rural roads. Of those, there are 137,000 council-owned and managed street trees.
An inventory conducted in 2015 uncovered 79,624 street trees that came under our management at that time.
The 2015 study also revealed each year we remove around 2,125 street trees because they are dead, dying or dangerous, and we plant around 2,620 new street trees each year as part of our planting program.
Trees and green cover are important and valued by our community and have many benefits and positive impacts on the liveability of our neighbourhoods. We are working towards our goal of increasing the number of trees and green cover we have across our municipality by 20% by 2040 as part of our Greening Whittlesea City Forest Strategy.
Trees also play a vital role in creating a sustainable environment and are helping us to combat the effects of climate change.
If your nature strip doesn't have a tree, you can ask us to plant one.
Request a nature strip tree
Street trees benefit us, fauna and the surrounding environment in the following ways.
Reduction of temperature
The shade provided by trees can help cool areas that are warmer due to the build-up of housing and human activity. Shade from trees can reduce daytime temperatures between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Physical and mental wellbeing
Trees deliver a range of well-documented health and wellbeing benefits. This can include providing shady corridors and green spaces to encourage outdoor activity and social interactions. Spending time outdoors and in nature can also reduce stress and increase mental wellbeing.
Providing more oxygen
The leaves on trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air.
Reducing air pollution
Large healthy trees absorb 60-70 times more air pollution than smaller trees.
Providing habitat for wildlife
Trees, their branches and any hollow found in their trunks provide important habitat for native wildlife, including birds and possums.
Reducing soil erosion
Soil erosion can be reduced by trees in several ways.
Trees can:
- hold soil in place with their roots
- intercept the force of raindrops
- increase soil organic matter
- increase soil moisture
- act as windbreaks.
These can all help prevent soil erosion caused by wind and rain, maintain healthy soils, and support sustainable land management practices in Australia.
Increased property values
Property values of homes in leafy streets are typically higher than those in non-treelined streets.
To reduce risk to the public, we arrange for tree specialists to assess the sturdiness and health of nature strip and street trees, at least once every two years.
Our tree professionals judge each tree against industry best practices and, if necessary, prune the tree to ensure it grows properly and keeps clear of power lines.
Pruning your nature strip tree without Council approval is illegal under Local Laws.
Find out when your nature strip tree will be pruned
Learn more on the maintenance of trees page.
We all have a role to play in greening our neighbourhoods. Almost 20% of the land in the City of Whittlesea is non-Council land (private property, or managed by other government agencies).
While we plant thousands of trees each year in streets, open spaces and community facility settings, you can also play a part in protecting existing trees and increasing the number of trees and green cover by:
- looking after any trees on your property, including any trees you have on your nature strip
- requesting a nature strip tree to be planted if you don't already have one
- creating a nature strip garden
- protecting trees from damage by avoiding activities that may harm them, such as driving over tree roots
- reporting any instances of vandalism or damage to trees by calling 03 9217 2170
- planting more trees on your property
- getting involved in tree planting activities.
We hold a number of tree planting days throughout the year – keep an eye on our events page for upcoming dates.
I don't have a nature strip tree - how do I get one?
If your nature strip does not have a tree, you can ask us to plant one for you.
We will arrange for an appropriate tree to be planted during the planting season, which runs from late autumn to early spring.
The type of tree that is chosen for your nature strip will be based on the existing nature strips in your street, and what is deemed the most appropriate by our expert arborists.
Request a new nature strip tree
Can I plant my own tree in the nature strip?
No, you can't plant your own tree on the nature strip.
It's illegal for you to plant your own trees, shrubs or any other plant (apart from grass) on your nature strip, under our Local Laws.
Our arborists select and plant the most appropriate trees in natures strips in accordance to set guidelines. We also aim to provide consistency of the type of trees planted along individual streets.
If you have planted an inappropriate or unsuitable tree, we may need to remove or replace it at a high cost to all ratepayers.
In addition, any potential insurance claims related to such trees can be refused if we were not involved in the species selection or planting process.
You will need to obtain a nature strip garden permit to plant shrubs or other plants on the nature strip adjacent your property.
Find out more about nature strip garden permits.
How often are nature strip trees pruned?
We assess and prune every street tree, including nature strip trees, over a two-year period.
Our arborists check the health and sturdiness of the trees and where needed, prune the tree to ensure that it continues to grow properly and keep clear of power lines.
Pruning your nature strip tree without Council approval is illegal under Local Laws.
Find out when your nature strip tree will be pruned
Can Council remove the tree on my nature strip?
Trees play a crucial role in creating a healthy environment and contribute to the liveability of our suburbs. It takes many years for trees to grow to a point where they can provide maximum benefits, so our aim is to keep as many existing trees as possible.
We only remove a nature strip or park tree as a last resort, if it has been assessed by our trained tree professionals as posing a danger to the public and having faults that can’t be fixed.
We don't remove trees if they are reported as:
- causing hay fever - most hay fever is caused by very small pollen originating from tall grass that has flowered and is carried through the air by the wind
- dropping too many leaves or fruit
- being too large.
After we identify a tree for removal, we remove it as soon as possible based on the level of risk.
If you're concerned about a potentially dangerous nature strip tree, please contact us on 03 9217 2170.
Falling leaves make a mess - what can I do?
It is natural for trees to lose leaves. Deciduous trees mainly drop leaves in autumn and flowers or fruit in spring and summer. Evergreens will have smaller drops throughout the year. On average both will drop the same amount of green litter.
Below are some useful tips on what you can do with fallen leaves.
- Use them on garden beds as mulch or added to the compost.
- Blow the leaves onto your lawn before mowing - the mower will the collect the leaves as it cuts the grass.
- Put them into your food and garden waste bin - you can order one online.
You can also drop off your green waste for free using the green waste disposal vouchers you get with your rates notice to:
Repurpose It
480 Cooper Street
Epping
View map
Visit the Repurpose It website for further information.
How can I help take care of my nature strip tree?
You don't need to water newly planted nature strip trees, as that's our responsibility. We use recycled water to irrigate these trees, saving up to six megalitres of drinking water per year.
Once established, nature strip trees usually receive enough water from rainfall and the soil to keep them in good health. However, you can still care for your tree by:
- not placing grass or mulch at the base of the tree trunk
- not pruning, removing or transplanting the tree
- not damaging the tree.
Can I get my nature strip tree replaced?
Our Street Tree Renewal Program is where we replace nature strip trees in the City of Whittlesea’s older established suburbs, to create a consistent tree theme for an entire street.
We follow these steps to renew a street’s nature strip trees.
- Identify appropriate streets to renew based on our staff’s observation or resident nominations.
- Prioritise streets based on whether they lack nature strip trees or have ageing trees.
- Ask residents if they support renewal of their street, and if so, ask them to choose their preferred tree type
- Remove existing trees that are inconsistent with the preferred tree type (regardless of their condition)
- Replant and maintain the preferred new trees.
You can nominate your street for nature strip tree renewal by calling us on 03 9217 2170.
Friends of Darebin Creek
Working with the community and government to preserve, restore and manage the ecosystems associated with Darebin Creek. Visit the Friends of Darebin Creek website for news and events information.
Darebin Creek Management Committee
Visit the Darebin Creek Management Committee website for details on events and opportunities to support the local environment.
The Nature Conservancy
Visit the Nature Conservancy website test your urban forest knowledge with a tree test.