Better protection will be provided to some of Canberra's oldest residents, following a staggering decline in mature native trees largely due to land clearing.
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More than 6 per cent of the ACT's urban mature trees were lost between 2015 and 2020, with Coombs, Denman Prospect, Throsby, Taylor, Wright and Whitlam accounting for the largest losses.
Aerial surveying found 21,032 trees were lost across the ACT over the five years, in addition to those lost in Namadgi and Tidbinbilla during the 2020 bushfires.
A plan has since been developed to save Canberra's old natives, with increased monitoring for the removal of protected trees by landholders.
The draft would ensure new estate plans explicitly addressed mature native retention and planting occurred when a mature native was removed.
A $14.9 million budget promise will deliver 54,000 new trees to the ACT by 2024, as part of Canberra's urban tree canopy plan for shading 30 per cent of streets by 2045.
Canberra's total canopy cover in 2020 was estimated to be 22.5 per cent, ACT Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said it was now at 23 per cent, with significant variation across the community.
She said the significant and continuing decline of mature native trees in urban areas was due to land clearing, loss of connectivity, and climate change.
"Doing everything we can to protect our mature native trees but also, where we have gaps, planting new ones and enabling them to get to maturity will also be really important," Ms Vassarotti said.
A draft action plan was released this week after declining mature tree numbers was added to the ACT list of key threatening processes in 2018.
The loss was included on account of the adverse impact declining numbers has on superb parrots, brown treecreepers, glossy black-cockatoos and little eagles, all listed as vulnerable species.
Under the Nature Conservation Act 2014, an action plan must be prepared to minimise any threats to a listed species or ecological community.
Its main objectives will be the protection of existing mature natives and their environments, as well as increasing the survival of young natives and enhancing their ecological environment.
ACT conservator Ian Walker said recent variations to the territory plan proposed residential developments included more trees, planting areas and soft landscaping than currently required.
"This new requirement for trees on residential blocks can include existing mature trees or the planting of new trees," Mr Walker said.
Expected to take effect on July 1, the plan will require single residential blocks to have at least 15 per cent tree canopy coverage and high density developments to have at least 20 per cent coverage.
Mr Walker said, in the context of climate change, protecting mature trees was increasingly important.
"Keeping these old majestic trees is critical to help cool the city," he said.
Tree loss: 2015 to 2020
An analysis of mature-aged trees occurred across urban, rural and reserve landscapes
- There were 231,366 mature trees in urban landscapes in 2015
- In 2020, 14,455 trees had been lost - representing a 6.2 per cent drop
- There were 446,027 mature trees in rural landscapes in 2015
- In 2020, 4846 trees had been lost - representing a 1.1 per cent loss
- There were 309,408 mature trees in reserves in 2015
- In 2020, 1731 trees had been lost - representing a 0.6 per cent loss
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