Perth homeowners could be paid to plant trees in bid to thicken canopy coverage

A new green policy offering cash to plant more natives aims to thicken Perth’s ailing tree canopy.

In a bid to turn around Perth’s tree coverage – the worst of all Australian capitals – Labor announced on Tuesday it would plant one million trees across the metropolitan region by 2035 if re-elected in March.

Perth has far too little tree canopy, which increases the heat island effect.

The $16.9 million commitment includes a WA-first “treebate”, allowing 10,000 households a year to receive $150 to plant native trees on their property.

The “treebates” would be available to all WA residents 18 and over, redeemable via the ServiceWA app, and would help fund the purchase of native trees from WA nurseries and other retailers.

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has said tree canopy coverage is just 16 per cent in Perth, while Nearmap’s annual tree count found it was about 22 per cent.

Nearmap reports Brisbane’s coverage, the highest in the country, is at 79 per cent.

Environment Minister Reece Whitby said the “treebate” would help the state government get Perth’s canopy coverage to 30 per cent by 2040, bringing the city in line with Melbourne’s current coverage and above Adelaide’s.

“We’ve let ourselves down in Perth for decades and decades over many generations. We can be a beautiful garden city, and this is the first step towards that,” he said.

“If we can have more intelligent design – infill opportunities, but also opportunities to plant native trees within that infill development – it’s something we’re looking at.”

Whitby said the initiative was about local communities becoming greener, leafier and more liveable in the years to come.

While the state’s Labor politicians spruik their plans to plant more trees, the WA Greens have put solar power front and centre, announcing plans for a Renewable Energy for All policy.

The policy would include a zero-interest loan scheme for home renewable energy, a home energy rebate program aimed at lower income households, renewables for renters, and solar for apartments.

The scheme, modelled on ones running in Tasmania and the ACT, would allow eligible homeowners to borrow up to $15,000 to buy energy-efficient products, which they would have 10 years to repay.

WA Greens MLC Brad Pettitt said WA was the only state or territory not to offer any incentives for residents to power their homes using renewable energy.

“Our plan would cost just $496 million over eight years and help 200,000 households move permanently to cheaper and cleaner electricity from solar power,” Pettitt said.

“This policy isn’t just fantastic for the environment, it will massively benefit Western Australians during this cost-of-living crisis, as all-electric homes can be up to $3000 a year cheaper to run.”

Premier Roger Cook said his government already supported families with the cost of living when it came to energy usage, and described the Greens as “cynical” and out to grab headlines without the intention of implementing their policies.

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