2018-06-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                       12 JUNE 2018


12                       TREE MANAGEMENT ON PUBLIC LAND POLICY
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                           Manager Civil Operations, Allan Hull
                                 Civil Operations Branch, Infrastructure Services

Index                            ECM/ Subject/Governance & Executive/Council Polices

Attachments                      1.   Revised Council Policy - Tree Management on Public Land


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The existing Tree Management on Public Land Policy was adopted in April 2015. This policy has
been reviewed and the proposed revised policy includes a number of amendments which are
intended to better define Council’s position regarding tree management on Council controlled
land.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Civil Operations Manager to the Services & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 12 June 2018, repeal the current Tree Management on Public Land
Policy, and adopt the revised Council Policy – Tree Management on Public Land as set out in
Attachment 1 to the report.


REPORT
Trees form a major element of the urban landscape in Noosa Shire and provide a range of
benefits apart from their visual amenity including improving air quality, stormwater management
and energy reduction as well as providing homes and food for our local wildlife.

The intent of the ‘Tree Management on Public Land’ policy is to ensure that trees on public land
are managed in a consistent, transparent and sustainable manner, in accordance with all
relevant legislation and are recognised and treated as valuable assets of the community, whilst
balancing the risks associated with trees which require managing. The current policy was
endorsed by Council on 9 April 2015.

The table below shows a summary of the changes incorporated in the revised policy.

Section Heading                           Summary of changes
Purpose                                   A new section which outlines the reason for the policy and how it sits
                                          within the hierarchy of tree management documents used within
                                          Council.
Scope                                     Wording from the ‘Policy Background’ has been used to form this new
                                          section.
                                          Changes have been made to the listing of land types and tenures for
                                          which the policy does not apply including:
                                          • Land controlled by Council for conservation purposes and bushland
                                             reserves have been consolidated into one dot point.
                                          • “Declared pest plants” has been replaced by “Plants identified under
                                             the Noosa Council Pest Management Plan” and
                                          • “Trees on public land not managed by Council e.g. National Parks”
                                             has been added.



                                                                                                      Page 48 of 118