‘Cash for trees’ proposed for Burnside residents

A councillor in one of Adelaide’s premier eastern suburbs says residents should be paid to care for significant trees on their properties, to maintain the area’s “leafy” reputation.

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Burnside residents should be paid to care for significant trees on their properties, under a proposed scheme to maintain the area’s “leafy” reputation.

Cr Julian Carbone has asked the council to consider introducing financial incentives – “cash for trees” – to “stop the erosion of our tree canopy”.

“Let’s incentivise people to keep their significant trees,” said Cr Carbone, who went on to describe the scheme as a “no-strings-attached, unconditional, annual cash reward”.

“This is the moral issue of our council term, I can’t think of anything more important.”

He said trees were an important part of life in Burnside, but “more and more of our residents don’t want them in their own private backyards”.

Cr Julian Carbone wants to protect Burnside’s leafy reputation. Picture: AAP/ Nowell Grant.

Maintaining the canopy was a battle the council needed to win.

“How often have we heard the term leafy Burnside? This is why people choose to invest in Burnside,” he said.

“They love trees. This is what separates us from other parts of Adelaide.

“Trees are our image, trees are our brand, it’s our logo.”

Cr Jane Davey agreed, saying she was “very concerned about the loss of our significant trees”.

Cr Henry Davis supported the objective but not the “highly concerning” incentive scheme.

“There are other ways,” Cr Davis said.

“I don’t agree with cash for trees … it will be an inverse Robin Hood.

“A system of cash for trees will become a system of cash for rich people.

“This is essentially fighting with a broken sword.”

Cr Helga Lemon said the biggest issue was urban infill and the council had to find way to stop developers from felling trees.

A report on potential financial incentives will be presented to the council in March.