Street trees are an important part of our urban landscape. They provide so many positive benefits to the community both aesthetically and environmentally. 

Our street tree planting program aims to increase canopy cover throughout the city by planting trees that will not only survive but thrive for years to come. As part of this commitment Council is trialling new tree species that could potentially become part of our future urban landscape.

Tree trials allow council to better understand which new tree species better suit our urban environment in a changing climate. They allow us to trial more suitable trees under powerlines and other challenging urban sites. Whilst we are committed to maintaining our current streetscapes, we are also focusing on transitioning to new trees species to add to our current tree palette suitable for planting in our streets.

The first round of tree trials commenced in 2024 with a small number of trees being planted in Mitcham and Blackburn. The second stage of the trial will commence in 2025 with several new species being planted in other suburbs throughout Whitehorse.

This is a collaborative partnership with support from Councils contractor Urban Tree Growers and in conjunction with Treenet to identify suitable tree species over a 3 to 5-year trial period. This will ensure Council has enough information about the performance of these selected species to add them to our future planting programs.

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