Town of Bassendean to review street trees and increase tree canopy on Old Perth Road

STREET trees along Old Perth Road in Bassendean will be audited in a bid to identify opportunities to increase tree canopy.

At the October 23 meeting, Bassendean Council unanimously supported Mayor Rene McLennan’s motion to audit the trees and investigate whether to plant more trees or to transplant or replace existing smaller and narrow tree species with broad canopy trees.

The Town will explore other possibilities for more greening and plantings such as pots, plantar boxes and wall gardens.

The council recognised the existing trees were not providing significant shading or amenity to the main street.

A report on the audit’s results will be considered by the council by January 2019.

According to an officer’s report, the current Sapium sebiferum (Chinese Tallow) trees were progressively planted on verges between 2013 to 2017.

“Due to the October 2018 notice of motion being submitted, officers have again inspected and investigated opportunities for further plantings.

“With all possible locations exhausted, underground services have restricted plantings in the remainder of bare space,” the report stated.

Officers advised that if the more mature trees were removed, they would not be replanted because any relocation would result in transplant shock and they would not survive.