Polyphagous shot-hole borer running rampant in Canning, destroying mature trees: Canning mayor

The invasive polyphagous shot-hole borer devastating trees across Perth has more than made its mark in Canning, civic leaders say.

The City of Canning has lost 42 mature trees to the tiny invasive beetle, with mayor Patrick Hall this week ruing a proliferation of the borer’s damage across almost all of the city’s suburbs.

“It is good reason that right at the moment we should be doing everything we can to protect the canopy that we have,” he said.

The information came to light during a council discussion over a request for a verge tree in Willetton to be felled because of safety concerns it could drop limbs.

Mr Hall described it as an “environmental disaster on our doorstep” and said he would be raising the issue with the State council of the WA Local Government Association.

Canning council voted not to remove the 40-year-old lemon scented gum tree from the Silvertop Terrace verge, determining the tree to be low risk.

Polyphagous shot-hole borer has been confirmed in more than 80 suburbs across Perth since it was first detected in August 2021.