Tree FAQs

• Having trees and green yards on your street can boost property values by up to 30%.
• Trees provide homes, shelter, and food for birds and other wildlife.
• Leaves in trees act as natural filters, cleaning the air we breathe by removing dust and pollution particles.
• Resting in the shade of a tree can be 10–15 degrees Celsius cooler than being in direct sunlight.
• Trees cool the surrounding air through transpiration and can lower the street temperature by up to 10 degrees Celsius. This can lower your home's cooling costs by more than 10% annually.
• Tree roots help soak up water, reducing runoff and stormwater.

Council will not remove trees to improve your view. However, council will give consideration to existing views when selecting specific tree species and locations for planting. This doesn’t mean we won’t plant a tree, but we may adjust its positioning if possible.

No, all trees drop leaves, nuts and shed bark in varying amounts and it is simply unreasonable for us to pick up every bit of mess from a tree. We have regular maintenance programs, such as street sweepers, to keep footpaths and roads clear of leaves and debris.

We understand trees can be messy, and we encourage the use of your green waste bin to collect leaves and debris. Ageing residents may be able to access the Home Assist service to provide support in managing leaf mess, please contact customer service or place a request via My Marion.

SA Power Networks is responsible for pruning trees and clearing vegetation around powerlines. Vegetation can be grown through low-voltage powerlines to improve the visual amenity of the streetscape. Visit the SA Power Networks website for more information.

Council has regular tree maintenance programs focused on managing risk and keeping footpaths and roads clear. If there is a specific tree that requires pruning, you can make a request via My Marion and Council will send a qualified arborist to inspect the tree and determine what work may be required.

Regulated trees have a trunk with a circumference of 2 metres or more. This is measured at a point 1 metre above the ground. In the case of a tree with multiple trunks with a total circumference of 2 metres or more and an average circumference of 625 millimetres or more.

A significant tree is a regulated tree with a trunk circumference of 3 m or more.

Regulated and significant trees are protected under state government legislation. For more information, visit the Plan SA website

If you are concerned about the tree in front of your property, you can report a hazardous tree via My Marion and Council will send a qualified arborist to inspect the tree and determine what works may be required.

No, we can only maintain, prune or remove trees that are under our control on public land. We appreciate that trees on private land can cause conflicts between neighbours from time to time.

For more information, visit the Trees and the Law Booklet

For residents who have a regulated or significant tree in their yard, they may be eligible to access the Regulated Tree Maintenance Fund (Conditions apply)

You can report a vandalised tree via My Marion and Council will send a qualified arborist to assess the tree and if necessary, will remove and replace it.

You can report the hazardous tree via My Marion and one of our Community Safety Inspectors will come to assess the situation and discuss with the property owner, who will need to take action to mitigate the hazard.

Many Regulated and Significant trees are located on private property, and we understand the challenges residents face in looking after these magnificent trees. The Regulated Tree Maintenance Fund provides financial assistance for property owners to take action that helps maintain their regulated or significant tree.

The fund covers the following:

• Arborists report when work is subsequently undertaken on the tree
• Tree Pruning
• Pest and Disease control

For more information, visit the Regulated Tree Maintenance Fund page

No, we won’t remove an established tree to reduce shading on solar panels. Some pruning may be approved, provided it does not impact the shape or integrity of the tree.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t install solar panels on your home, but it may mean you need to consider an alternative direction to face your panels or to include micro-invertor technology.

We do not provide residents with mulch for private garden use. Given the extensive area in our city that requires mulching, we utilise mulch generated from council pruning and removal programs specifically for our garden beds and reserves. If you require mulch for your garden, we suggest reaching out to a commercial tree company, as they are often willing to supply mulch to private residents. For more formal and ornamental mulch options, landscape supply depots and commercial hardware stores offer suitable alternatives.

Where large-scale (Suburb) planting projects are proposed, the council will engage the local community in accordance with community engagement guidelines. Each property that has been identified to receive a tree will be notified by letter in their letterbox. Additionally, signage will be placed throughout the suburb with QR codes linking to our Marion Tree Interaction where additional information can be found about our planting program.

Council has endorsed a 7-year planting plan that outlines priority actions and locations for tree planting. The selection of suburbs for tree planting is determined using State Government canopy mapping, with an emphasis on areas with low canopy coverage and high urban heat. Nonetheless, council welcomes individual customer requests to plant a tree on their verge. You can make a request via My Marion, and we will dispatch a qualified arborist to evaluate your location.

When choosing tree species, several factors are considered, such as verge size, soil composition, road proximity, utility infrastructure and street aesthetics. We welcome discussions on these aspects and can provide information about the planned tree species. Although we like to have uniformed species in our streets, we are open to exploring personalised options for your specific verge.

Each year, the City of Marion plants approximately 75 distinct species, thereby fostering a vibrant and adaptable urban landscape.

Council strategically incorporates a diverse range of tree species, encompassing both indigenous and non-indigenous varieties, to mitigate risks associated with pests and diseases. Recognising the ongoing influence of climate change on our environment, we actively collaborate with industry stakeholders to cultivate tree species that are resilient to changing climatic conditions.

It is important to emphasise that both native and exotic tree species can be drought tolerant. Our arborists are dedicated to carefully selecting and planting trees that are well-suited for their specific environmental conditions. Additionally, the nursery industry undertakes ongoing research on root stocks, tissue culture and cross-breeding of trees to develop climate ready species with drought-tolerant characteristics. Our arborists use this information to make informed decisions regarding the choice of tree species to be planted.

Not without a permit. In line with Section 221 of the Local Government Act, it is mandatory to obtain a permit before making any alterations to a verge or road which includes planting trees

The council is supportive to planting trees on verges, but it must be undertaken with careful consideration to various factors such as utility services. If you wish to have a tree planted on your verge, please submit a request through My Marion.

Additionally, the Council provides a Verge Incentive Fund for implementing greening initiatives on your verge. Please visit the Verge Incentive Fund FAQs page for more information

Yes, street trees planted as part of our program will be watered weekly in the first two years and fortnightly in the third year. We always encourage residents to provide supplementary watering particularly in periods of hot weather.

Residents requesting planting or who adopt a tree will receive a bucket and are expected to water their tree.

City of Marion residents can help protect old and new trees across the city by adopting a Tree. You can adopt a tree by submitting a request on My Marion.

For more information about adopting a tree, visit the Adopt a Tree page