The Town of Mosman Park has introduced stricter protections for mature trees on private property following concerns over a diminishing urban canopy. The council unanimously adopted a new tree preservation policy at its June meeting, requiring residents to obtain development approval before removing or significantly pruning regulated trees.
What the policy covers
Regulated trees are defined as those at least 6 metres wide, 8 metres tall, or with a trunk circumference of at least 1.5 metres. The policy excludes palm trees and weed species. Any “tree damaging activity” — including killing, removing, severing branches, ringbarking, or lopping — now requires arborist approval.
Councillor Sarah Corbyn said the policy was necessary because it was “really alarming” to see the rate at which the town’s urban canopy was diminishing. “Our most recent canopy cover statistic from Mosman Park is 17 per cent, and we’ve got a target of 30 per cent by 2040,” she said.
Community and council support
The policy was widely supported, with 80 per cent of 112 survey respondents voting favourably. Cr Corbyn noted that residents highly value Mosman Park’s leafy character. “We can’t achieve 30 per cent with verges and open spaces alone. It’s really important that we have this policy in place,” she said.
Councillor Emily Orrell said the policy struck a “sensible balance” between protecting trees and allowing reasonable development. “We know that our mature trees provide enormous benefits not only to our community by reducing urban heat, but also providing habitats for our beautiful native wildlife, improving our air quality, managing storm water drain off and make our streets and neighbourhoods much more liveable,” she said.
Exemptions and replacement rules
Development approval will not be granted based on general dislike of a tree, nuisance from leaves or fruit, impact on private gardens, or personal allergies. Exemptions apply for safety concerns, environmental protection, essential services, bushfire management plans, maintenance pruning, or public works. Pruning must not cause death or serious harm to the tree.
The town has not specified rules for replacement trees when trees are removed for residential development or subdivision. Once removed, it can take decades for replacement planting to provide the same environmental benefits, Cr Orrell noted.
