Adelaide mayors call for review of SA’s significant tree laws over ‘alarming’ rate of loss
Metropolitan mayors - much like the fictional Lorax - are speaking for the trees, uniting to call for an end to the “alarming” loss of urban vegetation.
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Metropolitan mayors united in their concern about the loss of Adelaide’s green canopy have called on Planning Minister Vickie Chapman to review tree laws.
Mayors from 11 councils have co-signed a letter to Ms Chapman warning that Adelaide is losing mature trees at an “alarming rate” and that planting new ones is “not enough” to stop the loss.
In the letter they say:
THERE’S not enough space on public land to replace trees lost on private property.
REPLACING an existing mature tree with “one or several young trees” does not account for the loss of existing canopy cover.
CLIMATE change is affecting the ability for trees to establish and mature.
Mitcham Mayor Dr Heather Holmes-Ross co-ordinated the letter, which was sent to Ms Chapman on October 22.
“I know that we as a group of mayors are understanding of infill but we are really worried about the clearing of trees for infill,” Dr Holmes-Ross said.
“The State Government is saying tree canopy is important … but at the same time we are allowing this total clearing of private blocks … and we as councils are running out of space to plant trees. I totally understand the need to try and stop urban sprawl … but at the same time we really need to be protecting our trees.”
Mayors from Adelaide, Burnside, Charles Sturt, Gawler, Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham, Prospect, Tea Tree Gully, Unley and West Torrens councils have co-signed the letter.
Dr Holmes-Ross said that mayors of Campbelltown and Walkerville councils would be sending their own letters to Ms Chapman.
The letter does not specify what the review should entail, however, The Advertiser has previously reported concern that changes in 2011 to tree protection laws had made it easier to chop them down.
Some of the reforms included allowing homeowners to remove exotic species, regardless of their size.
Trees within 10m of a house or pool — except for eucalyptus and willow myrtles — could also be felled without approval. Under existing laws, homeowners must get council approval to remove trees with a girth greater than 2m.
The Advertiser this year revealed that councils were approving the removal of at least two mature trees a day.
The government wants a 20 per cent increase in urban green cover by 2045.
Ms Chapman said reviewing the laws was not an “immediate priority”.