Urban Forest Action Plan

Overview

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.

Urban forests provide environmental, economic, social and health benefits to the community.

Council currently manages around 62,000 street trees made up of more than 450 species. Our urban forest also includes trees found in our local parks and reserves, as well as those in private residences.

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.

We also understand that tree canopy cover in Frankston City is not evenly distributed between suburbs.

The Urban Forest Action Plan (UFAP) will work to address unequal distribution of canopy cover and plant trees where they are needed most.

There’s an estimated 16,000 vacant street tree sites, providing significant opportunity to increase tree cover across the city.

View or download the Urban Forest Action Plan (2020-2040)(PDF, 12MB)


What are the benefits?

There are environmental, economic, social and health benefits of a healthy, widespread urban forest. 

Environmental benefits

Cools and shades our cities

Strategic placement of trees in urban areas can cool the ambient air temperature between 2°C and 8°C.

Reduces stormwater runoff

Mature trees can stem the flow of stormwater and improve water quality.

Improves air quality

Large urban trees are excellent filters for air pollutants and fine particulates.

Supports urban biodiversity

Not only does the Urban forest have benefits in providing a richness of indigenous flora, it has been shown to support a wide range of species by providing food and shelter even to endangered fauna and other species of high conservation value (Kendal et al, 2016). It also supports a diversity of plants.

Mitigates climate change

Storing carbon to reduce emissions.

Economic benefits

Reducing energy use and costs

Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% per cent and save energy used for heating by 20% to 50% (USDA Forest Service).

Increasing property values

The presence of trees in streets and nearby parks can increase residential property values.

Improving city branding and economic

Green spaces play a role in creating a desirable character and city image, encouraging people to live, work and visit which, in turn, can increase a city’s economic productivity.

Storing and sequestering carbon

Trees can sequester and store up to 150kg of CO2 per year. This is the equivalent of the average monthly carbon emission from one Australian car. Storing carbon reduces emissions that mitigate climate change providing an environmental benefit as well.

Social benefits

Define local identity

Trees can help define a city’s character and identity. Trees provide seasonal interest, food supply and natural beauty through their interesting colours, shapes, textures of bark, foliage, canopy, flowers and fruit.

Improving social cohesion

Access to green space improves various measures of social cohesion including community connection by providing places for events, festivals and celebrations that can bring diverse groups of people together. 

Reduced crime rates

Increased urban vegetation has been linked to reduced levels of crime (Kendal et al, 2016) (FAO, 2016).

Health benefits

Physical health benefits

Trees can reduce our sun exposure thereby decreasing our risk of skin cancer. Urban green space also encourages increased levels of exercise and can help decrease blood pressure and stress.

Mental health benefits

Spending time in or near green space has been proven to improve concentration, memory, mood, self-esteem and relieve stress. There is also evidence to suggest that green space could be used for people suffering serious illnesses such as depression, cancer and ADHD in children. (Godfrey Faucett, 2016) (Giles Corti, 2005).

 

 

 


What are the obstacles?

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.

Request a new street tree

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.


More information

National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day

While every day can be Tree Day, we dedicate celebration of Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day to the last Friday in July, and first Sunday in August respectively.

Visit the Planet Ark website for more information.

iNaturalist

You can help monitor and conserve local biodiversity by downloading the iNaturalist App and joining Frankston City Council’s Biodiversity Project. Members can record observations of plants, animals and even fungi through the app or website. Photos and audio clips are uploaded and shared between members, identified and verified by other experts and data can be contributed to the Atlas of Living Australia.

Visit our Biodiversity Project page for more information.

Gardens for Wildlife

Gardens for Wildlife is a free program to support more wildlife friendly and environmentally sustainable gardening practices within Frankston City. 

Visit our Gardens for Wildlife page for more information.

Frankston Indigenous Nursery

Frankston Indigenous Nursery is a community nursery, specialising in producing quality indigenous plants from all around the municipality.

All seeds and cuttings are collected locally by staff and all plants are propagated on the premises. We have permanent staff as well as a team of community volunteers.

Visit our Frankston Indigenous Nursery page for more information.