Council recognises tree protection and canopy cover is an important issue to the community. Council’s City Forest and Habitat Strategy (2017 – 2040) aims for Wyndham to be a vibrant living ecosystem with shade and green spaces that support healthy communities and resilient, connected, natural environments.
The benefits of tree canopy cover in urban areas are well documented. These benefits include:
- reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect
- reducing the effects of climate change
- reducing temperatures in and around buildings
- reducing storm water runoff
- absorbing pollution
- providing habitat and promoting biodiversity
In 2017, Council engaged a consultant to undertake a study of canopy and landscape coverage, in the municipality. The study recorded canopy and landscape coverage in 2007 and 2017 on private and public land.
Results from the research indicate that Wyndham has a low canopy cover (3.6%, ±0.4%) compared to other Councils in the Melbourne region however, in the period between 2007 and 2017, Wyndham’s tree canopy cover grew by a significant amount (+1.2%, p<0.01). This change in tree canopy cover amounts to a relative increase of +51% over the ten-year period.
The canopy cover assessment found that canopy cover:
- the municipality overall increased from 2.4 per cent in 2007 to 3.6 per cent in 2017
- the urban area overall increased from 3.1 per cent in 2007 to 4.7 per cent in 2017
- the private urban area increased from 2.4 per cent in 2007 to 3.4 per cent in 2017
- the public urban area increased from 5.6 per cent in 2007 to 7.9 per cent in 2017
Note: The urban area includes all areas inside the urban growth boundary. The overall Municipality includes the urban growth and rural areas of Wyndham.
For more information, view the For more information, view the canopy cover study.