View the Tree Management Policy and Guidelines 2022. These documents are due for review in 2032.
What is the purpose of the Tree Management Policy and Guidelines?
Waverley Council has policies and guidelines to support our strategic direction and to guide our decision-making process. A great deal of care and thought goes into creating them.
We have had a Tree Management Policy since 2007 and it provides the framework for managing trees in Waverley. In this proposed version, we have separated the practical actions into a new document, creating the draft Tree Management Policy and Guidelines.
The Guidelines also contain content from other documents such as the Waverley Development Control Plan making it easier for residents to access the information all in one place.
Updates
Consultation
Feedback was collected from 15 September - 13 October 2022.
Consultation goals
Our previous Tree Management Policy was created in 2007, in 2019 we consulted the community on the old policy. The community asked for:
- a user-friendly document
- an improved maintenance schedule
- clearer guidelines for pruning and re-planting requests
- greater consideration for the impact to infrastructure when residents and Council consider re-planting and;
- a new notification process to reach a far greater audience
An environmental consultancy group, with significant and relevant experience in vegetation management, policy development, urban ecology, habitat creation and conservation and consultation reviewed the policy at the time and also provided their feedback. They said:
- Council should create a policy with a clear framework
- that contemporary best practice tree management should start with a clear Policy position based on retention and enhancement of an urban canopy
- considers an alternate approach to tree management and;
- establishes a framework that separates the technical aspects from the management/maintenance of individual trees
The draft Policy and Guidelines are the result of all the feedback provided from the community, the consultant and Council’s overarching community goals for a sustainable future.
In the development of the draft documents, we have tried to balance the needs of the broader community with requests and complaints regularly received by Council.
With all of this in mind, this is your opportunity to read through the proposed Tree Management Policy and Guidelines and provide feedback on areas you think we should change or provide details if we have missed anything.
The policy
The draft Tree Management Policy is a framework for best arboriculture practice. It:
- Provides a clear framework that will standardise current process and decision making allowing for consistency in the management of trees in our area
- Modernises our approach in line with legislative and regulatory responsibilities
- Ensures a best practice process
The guidelines
The draft Tree Management Guidelines provide detailed information for all areas of tree management in the Waverley Local Government Area.
The Guidelines outline how trees are to be managed and through their implementation will achieve our commitment to maintaining the trees we have, improving their maintenance and protection and increasing the level of urban tree canopy cover.
Key documents
How feedback was collected
Feedback was collected via the following methods:
- The feedback questionnaire (See below)
- Face to face at our Have Your Say day or online session
- By emailing treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au
All feedback was summarised in a final consultation report which was taken to Council's Strategic Planning and Development Committee on 6 December 2022. Read the meeting agenda and minutes.
