The tree register saga is now at least 15 years in the making. Following the September 2018 report we still are eons away from anything happening. As far as we can tell from council’s published information the eventual tree register will:
- Only be part of the Local Planning Law and NOT enshrined in the planning scheme. This means that it will not have the necessary clout that the planning scheme could provide.
- There are no guarantees that this register will even get through to include trees on private land. At the September meeting Strajt and Magee, plus Esakoff’s historical stance, made it absolutely clear that they were opposed to any ‘law’ that pertained to private land. Hence a free pass for continued moonscaping!
- Nor have we been provided with any information as to how many trees will be on the register; whether council will only include ‘natives’ as stated in their September 2018 list of ‘objectives’; nor whether council will follow the National Trust’s full criteria in assessing any trees. Again the September ‘guidelines’ only referenced ‘large’ trees!
By way of illustrating what can and should be done we highlight recent amendments from Moonee Valley Council. This council has had a register for years. The register has been updated annually, plus it has existed for quite some time as part of its planning scheme. The latest amendment, gazetted recently, takes this a step further by placing an Environmental Sensitive Overlay (ESO) on every tree listed in the register. Whilst removal is still permitted, Moonee Valley has ensured that moonscaping is now much more difficult and unlikely. The ESO ensures that for each tree there will be permanent tree protection zones, regardless of development desires, and that only branches of less than 10cm in width may be lopped by developers.
Glen Eira’s stated proposals don’t come within cooee of such actions!
FYI we’ve provided the following screen dumps from the Planning Panel report which supported council in their endeavours to protect their habitat. Importantly, the imposition on individual landowners and developers was seen as less than the overall ‘community benefit’ to that municipality by the enhanced tree protection!
Glen Eira Debates 
January 29, 2019 at 2:29 PM
we’ll get a mickey mouse register with no real teeth. Anything to make developers happy
January 29, 2019 at 5:49 PM
I am inclined to agree with you. What eventuates will be so full of holes that tree removal won’t present any problems for planning applicants.
January 29, 2019 at 6:04 PM
It’s very sad, our Sustainability Department is staffed by wimps that collect their wages and in return produce trash.
Glen Eira has, as we all know has the lowest amount of public open space in Melbourne, Victoria and likely Australia.
Just how deficient in open space we are in comparison with the average municipality has never revealed in any Open Space Strategy or any other document to my knowledge.
On a rough estimate we are over 80% deficient in either way of calculation public open space. In per head of population to hectares we are rapidly going backwards.
Of the open space we do have approx 70 plus percent is active open space with no chance of growing anything other than toe high grass and flat weeds. The remaining or left over open space is woefully inadequate for establishing enough tree cover to provide any measure of habitat, passive pleasure, or temperature amelioration and the myriad of other services trees can and do provide the community.
At the same time we are losing private open space and its tree cover galore quicker than any other municipality.
Does this sound sustainable to you?
My feeling is Glen Eira management team and our councillors are dominated by climate change deniers and likely also be in bed with the developers.
Glen Eira’s Sustainability Department working for the health of the present and future residents …… what a sick a joke this is
I might add the recent naturestrip draft policy for Glen Eira places some serious impediment in the way of planting any vegetation in these areas as well.
January 29, 2019 at 8:14 PM
People want trees protected. Full stop. That’s been said again and again and again by the majority of people. Stop the bullshit and get on with what you idiots were elected to do and not simply a stupid little local law but into the planning scheme like this other mob. You’ve waisted enough money on bogus consultations that ask the wrong questions. How about some simple questions like – should we copy Moone Valley? Should we have this in the planning scheme like them? I also would love to know how many fines have been handed out to developers who remove trees that they werent allowed to. Bet it is zero.
January 31, 2019 at 11:27 AM
More plans… a study for the “perfect” Glen Eira urban forest out soon, so we can all view again and comment again but the silver spade will remain buried and very inactive for yet another period. This is yet another delay of, ink and paper the “”20year tree talk fest.”(so far)
It’s time to plant rather than use brown coal in these studies or we’ll be all well and truly dead and council is still planning planting the forest.
January 31, 2019 at 3:54 PM
Absolutely, I suggest just go out a pirate plant a tree or two, pick a place that can take a tree and wack one in. If our council and the councillors are not going to wake up to to the reality of the importance of what trees provide the community and protect our wellbeing. We really have no choice but to do it ourselves. Choose someplace close by so you can follow-up will an occasional watering and care.