The National Capital Authority (NCA) has finalised a tree management policy to guide the protection, care and development of treed landscapes it expects to manage for the next 10 years.
Federal Assistant Minister for the Territories, Nola Marino said there were over 18,000 trees on NCA-managed land in Canberra and the NCA’s Tree Management Policy addressed the current challenges and future needs of the National Triangle and Central National Area treescape.
“Canberra’s incredible treescape was designed in the early 20th century and has been enjoyed for generations since,” Ms Marino said.
“With ageing trees, it is timely to plan for its future. Our aim is to ensure we deliver a treescape for future generations to enjoy,” she said.
“It’s a time to reflect on the past, but also infuse contemporary thinking and practices to create a blueprint to ensure the urban forest is resilient and thriving in the future, particularly in the face of a changing climate.”
Ms Marino said the NCA’s three key policy targets were to increase tree canopy cover from 33 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030; improve the age diversity of the treescape by ensuring at least 10 per cent of the population were juvenile; and improve the diversity of the species to ensure that no one species represented more than 10 per cent of the population.
“Trees play a major role in making Canberra so special for people who live here, and also for the millions of tourists who visit each year,” she said.
The NCA’s 21-page Tree Management Policy can be downloaded at this PS News link.
