Community input sought for Council’s first Urban Tree Canopy Strategy

Published on 29 February 2024

Community input is being sought to help develop Indigo Shire Council’s new Urban Tree Canopy Strategy, which will map how Council will manage, protect and enhance the tree cover in its townships. 

The strategy will include key actions to promote the growth, protection and equitable distribution of trees in Indigo’s eight main townships, as well as guidance on a tree replacement program for the Shire’s ageing trees. 

Mayor Sophie Price, is urging all community members to contribute to the strategy’s development, saying it is a great opportunity to shape how Indigo’s towns will look and feel in years to come. 

“Trees are a valued and significant part of our lives and their benefits are many. This strategy is critical to ensure we have a plan to ensure our tree population doesn’t decline, so we want to better understand what community priorities are when it comes to trees, whether people want to see more trees in their towns or if they have any concerns about how they are managed,” Cr Price says. 

Cr Price says the development of this strategy is particularly important as the region becomes more vulnerable to climate change and that it will help Council to create greener, healthier, more sustainable townships. 

“We know that as the climate changes, weather events become more extreme and as our communities evolve, our tree population is vulnerable. This strategy will help us set our objectives and targets for the long-term protection and management of our existing trees and those that we plant in the future. We want to ensure that our trees are resilient to the impacts of climate change and that we’re maximising the benefits they bring to our towns.” 

Council committed to developing this strategy as part of its Council Plan (2021-2025) and it builds on its involvement in the Naturally Cooler Towns Project in 2022, which highlighted the significant gap in governance structures for informing the way township trees are managed to maximise their benefits, such as shade and cooling, while also adapting to climate change. It is also a key part of the Naturally Cooler Indigo Project, a two-year initiative funded by Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) which aims to upscale Council's street and park tree planting to increase natural shade in its towns. 

Community members can provide their feedback by clicking here.