Street tree management plan

We currently manage over 120,000 street trees.

• Each year, we plant thousands of new trees in streets and parks as part of our planting program.
• Due to the large amount of urban growth in the City of Whittlesea, we receive thousands of extra trees each year that were previously managed by developers.
• One of the most common species of street trees you may spot around our neighbourhoods is the spotted gum. We also have over 2,000 olive trees.
• There are more than 400 remnant indigenous street trees, most are river red gums. These trees grew naturally in the area before the land was developed and have survived longer than houses, streets or roads. These magnificent trees are part of the original local environment and are important homes for native animals living in their hollows. 
•  Many of our street trees are still young, meaning in the decades to come they will provide shade, improve air quality, support local wildlife and enhance the beauty of our neighbourhoods.

We have six key tree management functions.

1. Selection and planting
We undertake the planting of trees along streets and roadsides using the right tree, in the right place principle.

2. Risk management
We assess trees located on our land and identify and manage any hazards or risks.

3. Maintenance programs
We carry out both planned (proactive) and on-the-spot (reactive) maintenance for our trees to make sure they are well looked after.

4. Protection
We protect all street trees within our municipality where possible.

5. Removals
We will only remove trees that meet the tree removal criteria, which you can view in our Street Tree Management Plan.

6. Value
We calculate a dollar value for trees, which includes amounts already spent such as planting, establishing the tree and regular maintenance. The value also adds the cost to replace the tree and establish over time.

Trees also have significant value to our community which grow as the tree ages, such as stormwater management, shade, cooling and homes for native wildlife.

Our Street Tree Management Plan includes:

• An assessment of the current state of our street trees
• Street tree management code
• Information on how we manage tree risks
• Details on our tree maintenance programs, including clearance requirements for pruning
• Steps taken in tree root damage investigations
• How we manage pests and diseases
• Our process for dealing with requests for tree services
• Street tree protection requirements for developers
• A new street tree species list.

Download the plan

Download the Street Tree Management Plan(PDF, 3MB)

Download the Street Tree Management Plan - accessible(DOCX, 3MB)