Newcastle City Council considers trees to be significant capital assets. They are as much part of the community infrastructure as roads and footpaths.

There are over 70,000 trees on public streets and hundreds of thousands more within Newcastle’s local government area. Collectively these trees form an urban forest that provides many environmental, health and social benefits.

The collection of vegetation along our roads and pathways and throughout our bushland and parklands provides us all with an extraordinary array of benefits.

Remnant bushland exists on one third of council’s community land providing visual amenity and ecosystem services as a fundamental element of Council’s urban forest asset base.

The canopy cover generated by urban trees as part of this “green infrastructure” improves local amenity and provides many public benefits such as capturing stormwater, filtering air pollution, shading footpaths and parking areas, saving energy, and enhancing local biodiversity.

To maximise these benefits for residents, Council is investing in effective planning tools, inspection and maintenance routines and renewal programs for this “green infrastructure” just as it does for built assets.

Currently, efforts are focussed on the promotion, planning, planting and maintenance of our valuable street tree assets. Work is underway to:

• Promote the value and benefits of urban trees by researching and exhibiting an Urban Forest Background Paper and Draft Urban Forest Policy (kb pdf)
• Exhibit a draft Tree Management Development Control Plan for trees on private land
• Develop a Tree Technical Manual to guide activities including tree selection, planting, care, protection and rotation of trees
• Design a Tree Management Data System for all street and Park trees
• Collect inventory data on the estimated 100,000 public trees in Newcastle’s streets and Parks
• Develop a Street Tree Masterplan to ensure that the ‘right tree is planted in the right place’ (….. to identify street tree planting opportunities and to guide the selection of future species for planting throughout Newcastle)
• Provide the Urban Tree team with skills and resources to effectively maintain public tree assets and
• Deliver tree planting and renewal programs.

The benefits of urban trees

1. Trees beautify our community - People enjoy the shade and aesthetic beauty of trees in parks, along streets and in front of buildings. Trees also contribute to real estate values and may increase the value of property by up to 7%.

2. Trees improve our air - They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and return oxygen back to the atmosphere. They also remove air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and minute toxic particles that come mostly from diesel exhausts. This has real benefits in reducing the greenhouse effect.

3. Trees protect our water - Trees reduce the toxic effects of first-flush stormwater by reducing the volume of runoff water. Tree roots keep soil porous so rainwater soaks in instead of running immediately into creeks. They also reduce potential for soil erosion and replenish groundwater supplies.

4. Trees can contribute to energy savings - Trees can keep summer temperatures lower and reduce the need for cooling devices by providing shade. Just one tree shading an air-conditioner in summertime can reduce household energy consumption. By shading heat-absorbing surfaces such as bitumen and masonry, trees reduce the ‘urban heat island’ effect that leads to higher urban temperatures.

5. Trees provide vital food and shelter for wildlife - Birds, insects and numerous other native animals depend on trees for their habitat and nesting.

Council’s policies on tree removal, pruning and related matters are contained within the Local Environment Plan.