Using trees to help reduce urban temperatures is a much-needed policy in a hot-climate state such as WA. Photo: City of Perth.
The Western Australian Government is introducing two schemes that encourage residents to create greener, cooler and more attractive spaces.
Residents across the state will be offered cash rebates for planting trees in their backyards, including on properties impacted by polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB), an invasive beetle species.
For the next four years, up to 10,000 residents a year can claim a rebate of up to $150 on the purchase of a native tree through the Treebate program. The policy, worth $6.9 million, was one of the government’s commitments in the last election.
“The planting of thousands of trees under these two programs will build on the State Government’s urban greening initiatives, creating communities that are greener, healthier and more liveable,” Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said.
“Everything we can do to enhance and plant more trees across Perth, and our entire state, will unlock a range of social, economic and environmental benefits for the entire community.”
The policy is aimed at encouraging the planting of trees that support biodiversity, and creating greener, more aesthetically pleasing spaces.
Trees, especially in urban centres, also create cooler and more liveable streets. Areas of high development, with black roads and concrete footpaths, attract and maintain heat.
The addition of trees creates shade and significantly reduces ground temperatures, an observed phenomenon in Sydney, where the leafier eastern part of the city is cooler than the more heavily developed western areas.
“All these measures will help increase urban canopy, protect biodiversity and cool our suburbs,” Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said.
The second initiative is aimed at Western Australians impacted by PSHB. The WA Tree Recovery Program is worth $7.2 million and offers rebates to those affected by the loss of trees to the invasive beetle.
Eligible landowners can claim up to $150 for every tree that has been removed under the authorisation of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development because of the beetle.
Rebates for the Treebate and WA Tree Recovery programs can be claimed on the ServiceWA app from 28 July. Alternatively, claims can be made on the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation website.
