Urban Forest Strategy

The City of Canning's award-winning Urban Forest Strategy (PDF 28MB) is an ambitious plan to increase the City's urban canopy cover by 22.3% over the next 20 years.

The City of Canning has been assessed as having one of the lowest levels of tree canopy cover of Perth Metropolitan Councils. Our community has told us they want more trees and greater tree canopy cover. The goal of canopy increase will be achieved by planting over 60,000 new trees over the next 10 years, translating to an increase of 110 hectares in tree canopy cover City-wide. This will create a cooler, more liveable and sustainable future for Canning residents.

Request a Street Tree

The City is excited at the success of our online Street Tree Request form. This means you can request a street tree anytime.

We try really hard to get all of our trees to grow, but sometimes they just don't make it. This is where you can help. If you are lucky enough to have a tree planted on the verge in front of your home this winter, you can help the tree by giving it some extra water during summer. A bucket or two each week is all it takes and this can make a big difference.

Sadly not everyone loves trees as much as we do. If you see a tree which has been vandalised or you think just needs some attention, please let us know.

What's all this talk about shade?

In 21/22 we had our hottest Western Australian summer on record with 13 days recorded above 40 degrees C and a record number of days above 35 degrees C. Trees play an important part in providing shade, cooling our suburbs and generally making them more human friendly. The image below shows just how much difference trees can make to surface temperatures on a summer day.

We're aiming to create shady tree lined streets in our suburbs. Planting more street trees helps to cool our suburbs, making them more liveable and sustainable. A tree-lined street on a hot summer day can mean the difference between a comfortable walk or bike to work, and an unpleasant, sweat-soaked forced march. You can help make Canning an even better place to live by welcoming a new street tree and cooling our suburbs for future generations of Canning residents.

Urban Forest Strategy Achievements

Last year the City planted over 5000 new trees in Parks and Streetscapes. In fact we planted almost 3000 trees just in East Cannington and Queens Park alone. The City is using a spatial mapping system to plan and record where we are planting trees. The image on the right shows where we planted trees in 2021.

Our City Greening achievements include:

• Road reserve planting at Elkhorn St in East Cannington – over 5500 plants and trees planted.
• Groundlark Park basin community planting – over 5000 trees and plants planted.
• Receiving over 100 requests for new street trees.
• Planting over 19,000 plants planted in Ecological and Greening Corridors throughout the City.

For more detailed information, download the Urban Forest Strategy Reporting 2021 (PDF 1.5MB).

City of Canning residents were recently invited to name a street tree and write them a unique welcome message. The City documented locations where trees have been planted so that you can go and visit your new friend now they have officially moved in. Did you name a Street Tree? Find out where your street tree is growing on our Welcome a Street Tree Map (PDF 8.9MB).

The initiative is part of the City of Canning’s Urban Forest Strategy and revitalisation plan for Queens Park, with primary and secondary schools taking the opportunity to help tell the story of their suburbs by choosing names of significance that tie trees to the history of the place or even their own school.

The City of Canning is a proud Gold Waterwise Council.

The Urban Forest planting initiative is proudly supported by Water Corporation’s Waterwise Greening Scheme and helps form part of our ambition for City of Canning to be a leading Waterwise City.