We want to hear your voice!

We're holding a Community Forum for 100 community-minded people – from different ages, suburbs, and backgrounds.
Register your interest now
Please note the Marion Outdoor Pool is closed from 29 March to 1 April, opening on 2 April.
Skip to main content
08 8375 6600 request support contact
log in

Trial fund to keep significant trees thriving now permanently planted

Posted:
Monday 16 May 2022
Please note the content of this news item is over six months old and may no longer be current.
Significant tree snip 2022

A successful 12-month trial to help residents with the cost of maintaining large trees on their property will now become a permanent fixture in the City of Marion.

Elected Members last week voted to continue the Regulated Tree Maintenance Fund, with a $20,000 budget every year, after hearing seven residents had successfully applied for assistance during the trial and inquiries were expected to increase as word of the program spread in the community.

The fund offers to pay 50 per cent of the cost of an arborist report and any arborist works, capped at $1,750 per tree assessed as being significant or regulated.

“The City of Marion wants to preserve the large trees in our Council, and we know from tree mapping undertaken in 2020 that much of our tree canopy is located on private land,” Mayor of Marion Kris Hanna said.

“We set up the trial to help residents with the maintenance of their trees. We don’t want people to think that trees are so big or at risk of dropping branches that they need to be cut down.

“We’d rather see them professionally trimmed and this fund provides some financial contribution towards that.”

Homeowners cannot use the fund to remove a tree or cover the repair costs of infrastructure damage caused by falling limbs or the roots of large trees.

Residents can find out more about the Regulated Tree Maintenance Fund on the Council website.

Meanwhile, the City of Marion has recently launched an ‘Urban Tree Warriors’ program seeking volunteers to assist with the maintenance of newly planted street trees.

To date, Council has received 37 inquiries from residents willing to tend to their local street trees with 16 induction bookings. The volunteers will help improve not only the look of the trees but giving the trees a chance to thrive.

The City of Marion began its 2022 tree planting program a few weeks ago intending to plant 4,300 trees across the council area to support tree canopy and greening targets.

Street tree planting will be focused this year on the suburbs of Ascot Park, Glengowrie, Warradale, Plympton Park and O’Halloran Hill.

Last year 4,187 trees were planted across the city with Edwardstown, Clovelly Park, Mitchell Park and Oaklands Park given special attention.

The City of Marion is prioritising suburbs that have a low existing canopy and is aiming to plant some 30,000 trees over seven years. Council is also on track to increase the tree canopy coverage on its streets from 15 per cent in 2018 to 22 per cent in 2030.

More information about the Urban Tree Warrior program is available on the Council website.

For media enquiries, please contact the media team on: