Thursday, 24 July 2008
| 13ºC – Showers in the Vicinity
| Telephone: 02 9777 1000
The Willoughby area is noted for its many trees, and Council wishes to protect and encourage its leafy character. The 
Indigenous Plant Species List provides a list of plants native to Willoughby for those wishing to preserve the local character in their gardens.
Tree and Bushland Preservation Order
Some trees in Willoughby are protected by the Tree and Bushland Preservation Order. If you wish to prune or remove a tree protected by the order, you need to either write a letter or fill out the Tree prune/remove/transplant form - 111 KB. There is a processing fee unless you are a pensioner, which can be found under Fees & Charges. The property owner or their authorised agent must sign the application.
The application must include the following details:
- Your name and contact details.
- Whether or not you own the tree
- Where the tree is located
- The reason for your request
- Any other relevant information
Applications take around a fortnight to process, but poor weather conditions may extend this period. An inspection by Council staff will be carried out, and decisions will be advised in writing. No work can be undertaken until written authority is received.
Where permission is granted, Council will generally require a replacement tree to be planted. What can be planted will be subject to other Council documents, and factors such as native species and Heritage Conservation areas must be taken into account.
Trees in an urban context can benefit the area by:
- Modifying temperature and extreme climates
- Providing shade and reducing ultraviolet radiation
- Acting as a buffer against strong winds
- Producing oxygen
- Reducing greenhouses gases by taking in carbon
- Reducing air pollution by trapping dust
- Providing a more interesting landscape
- Increasing the economic values of land
- Managing stormwater run-off and soil erosion
- Providing habitat for local wildlife
- Softening the physical, visual and psychological impacts of an urban environment
- Creating a sense of place
These are some of the reasons why Council works with the community to protect trees and ensure that the future of Willoughby will be green.
For more information about the the Tree and Bushland Preservation Order, click here.
Trees and Development Sites
Council also encourages the retention and protection of existing trees on development sites. The following landscape specifications have been prepared to assist this process: