Frankston City’s 20 year Urban Forest Policy and Action Plan is working to transform the City’s urban forest into a highly valued, well-resourced and thriving asset.
Our urban forest includes all our street trees and trees found in our local parks and reserves, as well as those in private residences. Trees create more liveable cities and provide environmental benefits by supporting flora and fauna, cleaning the air and protecting us from the heat during our increasingly hot summers. Our trees also add character to our streetscapes and increase property values.
In 2020, Council managed around 62,000 street trees made up of more than 450 species. Together, these trees create a 17% canopy cover for Frankston City.
Our goal is to grow our tree canopy cover from 17% to 20% by 2040.
To achieve this goal Frankston City Council (FCC) set ambitious target to plant 20,000 trees per year over four years (80,000 trees total) to significantly increase the tree canopy cover. We have completed three years of 20,000, 60,000 trees in total.
The initiative demonstrates a proactive approach to environmental sustainability and highlights council's commitment to creating a greener and more liveable city. The planting target is an ambitious and a significant increase in the number of trees planted for most municipalities across Australia. To deliver the program we needed to strategically identify and target priority areas for tree planting. Highest priority locations for increasing canopy cover were determined based on a criterion that analyse our tree database to review the City’s tree canopy cover, the community’s vulnerability to urban heat impacts, important biodiversity corridor links, areas susceptible to localised flooding and high pedestrian use.
With the final year of planting proposed it was recognised that more focus was needed to ensure that the trees planted were well maintained and any losses replaced where possible to ensure that we are supporting the growth of a strong resilient canopy for the future. At Council Meeting 2024/CM9, it was resolved that after three years of planting 20,000 trees annually, the program’s final year will shift its focus to encourage tree planting on private land. This adjustment will allow Council resources to prioritise maintaining the 60,000 trees planted to date, ensuring their successful establishment and long-term health.
By increasing our tree canopy and partnering with our community to plant trees we aim to make a significant contribution to support our local biodiversity and community, creating a healthier and more sustainable environment for all.
View or download the Urban Forest Action Plan (2020-2040)(PDF, 12MB)
Trees provide a number of important environmental benefits to our community and to our local wildlife.
Environment and wildlife
Trees provide a number of important environmental benefits to our community and to our local wildlife. These benefits include:
- improve air quality
- provide important habitat value for wildlife
- reduce stormwater run-off, thereby reducing flooding and pollution of waterways
- filter airborne pollutants
- provide shade and cooler temperatures - reducing your energy bills
- remove atmospheric carbon dioxide
- introduce natural elements into urban surroundings
- attract birds and other animals to the area.
Social
Trees are great for the mind and body. They enhance people's health and quality of life by introducing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban surroundings.
Trees in private gardens and parkland settings provide areas where people can enjoy recreational and social activities, or simply relax in a tranquil setting and read a book.
Research has been undertaken into the physical and mental health benefits that interaction with trees and nature can provide.
Health
There are number of noted health benefits of trees, including:
- lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
- improving people's levels of concentration
- reducing stress
- helping people to create a more positive outlook on life.
Visit the Tress Are Good website for more information.
Aesthetics
The aesthetic value of trees is wide reaching. A tree on your property can be enjoyed by the whole neighbourhood without you even realising it.
Aesthetic benefits include:
- provide privacy
- screen out or enhance views
- act as natural sound barriers
- reduce glare and reflection
- create softness and beauty in streetscapes
- enhance and complement architecture.
Economic
There are many economic benefits that come from having trees on your property and in the local neighbourhood.
Several studies show that retaining trees can increase property values by at least 6.7 %. Removing that tree can cost you $15, 000 or more.
Planting trees to provide natural shade over the summer months is a great way of reducing your air-conditioning bill at home. Trees can also provide natural wind breaks from cold winter winds. This means using less heating and reducing your energy bills.
Planting fruit trees in your garden is a great way of enjoying fresh produce for your family and saving money on your grocery shopping.
Visit our Urban Forest Action Plan page to learn more about what we're doing to promote a healthy, widespread urban forest.
Frankston City’s urban forest is facing many challenges, including climate change, development and funding.
- Continual loss of tree canopy, estimated at 1% loss every four years. This is the equivalent of losing 1.4 square kilometres of tree canopy cover every four years.
- Climate change creating harsher conditions for trees to survive and thrive in.
- Funding and resources that do not yet allow for a best practice tree management program.
- Development and capital works which result in trees removed and not replaced on a continual basis.
These issues, however, pave the way for a series of opportunities for Council to:
- Plant trees where they are needed eg. in areas of social vulnerability to heat, where tree canopy is low, where pedestrian exposure to heat is high such as along footpaths, public transport stops and shared use paths.
- Incorporate a diversity of vegetation such as green walls, green roofs, trees, rain gardens and tree pits within the Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre where growing space is limited.
- Plant indigenous species along streets that connect and buffer areas of biodiversity value.
- Plant broad canopied trees within areas of localised flooding issues to stem stormwater flows.
To support the delivery of the Urban Forest Action Plan, residents can request a new street tree to be planted in front of their property.
The planting season runs from May to September each year.
Request a new street tree
To help keep track of our growing urban forest, don't forget to pin your planting on our Community Tree Register.