Tamworth council to vote on public access to Draft Urban Street Tree Management Plan

Tamworth Regional Council will vote at Tuesday evening's ordinary meeting on whether to endorse the Draft Urban Street Tree Management Plan and send it to public exhibition.

The plan has been in development for 18 months, and will cover a range of different topics that could shape the way the city and surrounding areas look moving forward.

If it does go to public exhibition, submissions will be welcomed on matters including tree removal policies, what requirements developers will have in regard to trees when building new housing estates, and how council can increase the number of trees in urban areas.

Councillor Helen Tickle was heavily involved in launching the development of the plan, and said the importance of trees cannot be understated.

On top of improving mental health, with a recent report showing people are less likely to develop mental health issues when living in areas with adequate greenery, she said it also helps with the weather and liveability.

"We're committed to greening and cooling the region in a responsible and sustainable way," she sai.

"Maintaining and increasing green space and street scapes increases the appeal and liveability of urban spaces by decreasing temperatures during the summer months, increasing habitat, health and wellbeing benefits."

According to council business papers, significant effort has gone into creating the plan, which could have major implications to the region's landscape.

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"The plan has been developed in consultation with an advisory group comprising of industry experts, interested community members, councillors and council staff," it read.

"The plan is the cumulative efforts of the advisory group in directing council to manage our existing urban forest along with pushing for an increase in tree planting across the region in a sustainable way."

How council will notify residents of any proposed tree removals is also part of the report and will be up for comment from the community.

The document would be on exhibition for 28 days, and copies of the draft document would be made available for download from council's website.

If there are no submissions throughout that timeframe, council will be recommended to adopt the plan. However, if there are, a further report would be required detailing the submissions.

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