Bassendean Tree Canopy Advocates plead council to brainstorm new strategies to protect ‘sparse’ tree canopy

Residents are pleading with the Town of Bassendean to continue brainstorming new strategies after its latest failed attempt to protect the town’s “sparse” tree canopy.

The Bassendean council recently voted to revoke a decision to publicly advertise a proposed planning policy to protect trees on private property following advice from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.

The council had just weeks earlier agreed to advertise the policy that trees — 8m or higher and with a canopy of more than 6m — not be be removed from private properties without development approval.

The department has also since advised the town that Planning Minister John Carey required a tree removal condition in the town’s draft Local Planning Scheme 11 before it could be approved.

All tree removal was to be exempt from requiring development approval, unless it was on a self-nominated Significant Tree Register.

Mr Carey has told PerthNow in the past that the State Government supported the establishment of voluntary significant tree registers through local planning schemes as a mechanism to protect trees on private land.

Mr Carey’s advice to the town meant its proposed planning policy was ineffective in protecting trees on private property, thus making it “inappropriate” for it to be advertised.

Bassendean Tree Canopy Advocate’s Alex McKellar said he was “devastated” by the introduction of a self-nominated tree register.

“As we are all aware, the minister has painted us all into a corner as this is now only possible if the owner nominates the tree ... I ask that councillors continue to brainstorm new strategies to find ways of protecting our sparse canopy on private property within the town,” he said.

“This cannot be the end of the discussion around protecting trees on private property.”

The Town of Bassendean has declined to comment.