Unley plan to make developers save tree canopy or pay higher rates needs state government support

Tree cover is so important that one council plans to force anyone building, extending or putting in a pool to save the trees – or pay higher rates until more grow. What do you think?

Homeowners would be forced to pay higher council rates if their properties don’t have enough tree coverage, under a plan being considered by the state government.

The 15 per cent tree canopy requirement would be triggered by any new development and even additions such as carports and pools.

Any developer or homeowner extending the built footprint on their property would have to pay an extra 10 per cent on their rates bill until the cover requirement was met.

Unley Council wants to trial the scheme and has the full support of the Liberal state Opposition, which says it should be rolled out across other council areas if it proves successful.

Unley needs state government approval to undertake public consultation on the move and Planning Minister Nick Champion says it will be looked at.

Unley Mayor Michael Hewitson said the “world-first” trial would reverse canopy loss in the inner southern suburbs, currently running at 2 per cent or 4ha a year.

“Unless we have a new solution, Unley’s children will live in a hot (district) with just 13 per cent tree canopy,” he said.

Michael Hewitson - Unley’s mayor. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Other eastern suburbs councils were watching with interest, Mr Hewitson said.

“If you increase the footprint of the built form, then you pay 10 per cent higher rates unless you’ve got 15 per cent tree canopy cover,” he said.

“And when you (achieve 15 per cent tree canopy cover), you stop paying higher rates.”

He said that included urban infill developments, where one dwelling is demolished to build two or more dwellings on the same allotment, or if an extension, swimming pool or garage was added to a home.

There would be exemptions for existing unit and townhouse properties where 15 per cent tree canopy cover was not achievable.

Mr Hewitson said the extra rates money would be used to buy land to plant more trees as the council was running out of places to put trees.

Mr Champion said the state government was committed to reviewing planning to “encourage a more liveable, competitive and sustainable long-term growth strategy for our state”.

“The review will look at various mechanisms to achieve this, and this trial will be considered as part of the process,” he said.

Unley already has aerial survey data on the percentage of tree canopy for every single property in its boundaries and provides this detail on rates notices.

Residents can also visit mycanopy.unley.sa.gov.au to see how their canopy cover changed between 2018 and 2021.

Unley Council and start-up company Forestree have developed an app that measures and monitors residential tree canopy in the area. Users can search residential addresses to visualise how the tree canopy on their property has changed over time. Credit: Unley Council

The proposed trial expands on the Urban Tree Canopy Offset Scheme introduced by the former Liberal government, where developers pay into a fund for urban greening if they cannot plant the required number of trees – one tree per new dwelling.

Unley MP David Pisoni encouraged Mr Champion “to exercise his powers ... to allow this initiative to spring to life”.

“The Malinauskas Labor government has all but destroyed their reputation when it comes to the environment by slashing $70m worth of practical environmental initiatives,” he said.

“With the flick of a pen they can show they’re prepared to do some good in the environment space, rather than the gesture politics and virtue signalling we’ve seen so far.”

Labor has said its extra budgeting for green initiatives more than offsets its cuts.