Darling Downs Environmental Council calls for doubling Toowoomba’s trees

A leading regional environmental group has called for more trees to be planted in the less leafy suburbs of Toowoomba. Here’s how every household could get a tree.

Darling Downs Environmental Council has called for more trees to be planted across the city for a suburb canopy target of 40 per cent by 2032. Suffolk St, East Toowoomba. July 26, 2024 Picture: Christine Schindler

Households across Toowoomba could be getting their streets tree-lined, should a local environmental report be implemented into council’s planning scheme, soon up for community consultation.

On Thursday, Darling Down Environmental Council released a report calling for Toowoomba Regional Council to reach a 40 per cent canopy coverage for each suburb by 2032.

This means doubling the current tree canopy coverage, not just overall for the city, which could be skewed towards the more established, well-known tree-lined streets of East Toowoomba, but ensuring each suburb reaps the leafy benefits of trees, DDEC co-ordinator Ahri Tallon said.

Targets set at doubling the current tree canopy coverage, not just overall for the city, but for each suburb to reap the leafy benefits of trees.

“We’d really like to see that greater access to cooling canopy cover across the city so everyone can access those cooler temperatures during summer,” Mr Tallon said.

In turn, Mr Tallon also pointed out the importance of selecting drought resistant trees along with community involvement in maintaining the trees.

“It’s not going to be a one size fits all with different areas and different soil types,” he said.

“We are really keen to see the council engage the community in how we can achieve the coverage goals.

“There’s a whole range of different ways that we can get over the hurdle of, ‘oh we’re in a dry year, can’t plant trees,’ to ensure that young trees survive and start to get that increased canopy in our neighborhoods.”

Councillor Edwina Farquhar said she noticed the difference in temperature between the east and west sides of Toowoomba. McGee Drive, Kearney's Spring. July 26, 2024. Picture: Christine Schindler

Deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff said while it had taken Toowoomba Regional Council a few years to get to this point, it would be the first time they would be measuring the tree canopy starting with the urban extent of the city.

She said the timing was “serendipitous” with the council’s planning scheme being released for community consultation in the next few months.

Councillor Edwina Farquhar said she noticed the difference in temperature between the east and west sides of Toowoomba.

Including individual suburb canopy goals, DDEC report recommended a climate and adaptation planning strategy and framework, environmental policy with measurable objectives, more community engagement and education and safeguarding mature trees from urban development. Suffolk St, East Toowoomba. July 26, 2024 Picture: Christine Schindler

“We’ve got a lot of new developments and blocks on our western side and periphery and I just would like to see more greenscape and a balance across our region,” Ms Farquhar said.

Including individual suburb canopy goals, DDEC report recommended a climate and adaptation planning strategy and framework, environmental policy with measurable objectives, more community engagement and education and safeguarding mature trees from urban development.

In 2022, council endorsed a proposal to plant more than a million trees by 2027, despite only sometimes meeting its quota of 5000 trees planted a year.

Should property owners want to hurry up the process, they can apply for a tree to be planted outside their property through council, but will need to commit to 12 months of watering and caring for it.