Cambridge council asked to consider a rebate to Perth homeowners to save local trees

Town of Cambridge homeowners could be paid to maintain, prune and preserve mature trees on their land as part an effort to safeguard and build the area’s declining tree canopy.

The western suburbs council will consider the issue at its next meeting on Tuesday night, on the back of councillor Matt Delmenico’s motion asking that the CEO investigate options for a financial incentive or rebate scheme.

Cr Delmenico said the potential financial framework could include a rebate of up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, subject to an annual cap per property. He has requested council staff investigate how a tree maintenance scheme might work and what it would cost, with the answers due back to council by November 30.

“The town’s urban tree canopy is a valuable community asset that contributes significantly to environmental sustainability, urban cooling, biodiversity, neighbourhood amenity and public health,” Cr Delmenico said.

“As temperatures increase and heatwave events become more frequent, protecting and enhancing tree canopy cover will be increasingly important for community resilience.”

The council is already developing an urban forest strategy, which is close to be completed. This strategy also recommends the town investigate financial incentives for tree retention on private property, director of governance Nicola Clark told a council agenda meeting last Tuesday night.

“In principle, the administration is supportive of further investigation,” she said. “In that sense, the two (strategies) could operate in tandem, but they are speaking relatively from the same song sheet.”

Cr Delmenico said latest available data suggests the town’s canopy cover had declined from about 20 per cent in 2014 to 18.6 per cent by April 2024 - putting it below the overall level of 22 per cent across the Perth and the Peel regions. In Wembley, the tree canopy drops down to 13.2 per cent and in West Leederville it is 16.8 per cent. Only Floreat is above the Perth and Peel level at almost 25 per cent, he said.

“The tree canopy is, in a way, a shared community issue... and the reality is residents will always have skin in the game,” Cr Delmenico said.

“Some residents are paying $1000, $2000 up to $3000 a year (to maintain significant trees), this proposal is about a small financial incentive to acknowledge the fact there is a significant cost to maintain this.”

He said other local government had introduced incentive programs to encourage tree retention on private land.