Street Tree Master Plan proposed changes

Council's current Street Tree Master Plan (STMP) was adopted by Council in 2005 with further amendments adopted in July 2012. The STMP is used for street tree planting works by both Council and residents. It provides surety in species selection for streets and roads in Mosman and is used in the development application process and when residents request for Council or themselves to plant a tree on public land in front of their property.

The aim of the proposed amendments to the STMP is to sustain and further enhance Mosmans streetscape. Street trees provide habitat corridors for local fauna, increase shading of hard surfaces (such as parking lanes, roadways and infrastructure) and provide significant amenity and character to the local area. Further, the amendments are aimed at reducing long-term maintenance costs and nuisance through more appropriate species selection. Maintaining existing view lines (from private and public land) has also been one of the major considerations when drafting the amendments.

In addition, streets have had species changed to increase the use of current high performing species and to compensate canopy loss resulting from the 10/50 law introduced by the NSW Rural Fire Service. Planting programmes are designed to meet customer planting requests, replace removed trees from public land, add trees to renew canopy in parks and streets and to plant out gaps on streets. The considerations for species selection are listed below:

• Size of tree in relation to view corridors
• Plant species history and success in the Mosman area
• Overhead power lines and the ability for chosen species to be practically managed
• Available space
• 10/50 canopy loss on adjoining private properties
• Size of tree relative to soil availability
• Tolerance to soil type
• Ability to be managed as per current management practices
• Underground services
• Growth rate
• Seed/flower fall
• Drought tolerance
• Reduction in management costs
• Retention of existing Biodiversity Corridor and Habitat Link changes as per 2012 amendments

There are a total of 241 streets listed in the current STMP and amendments are proposed for 111 streets. Please refer to attached map showing streets with proposed STMP amendments. Most of the proposed amendments are for one of the two specified species listed for each street. In some streets however where both current species are performing poorly both species have been changed.

It should be noted that growth potential for trees currently within the STMP will rarely reach respective size capacity. This is due to environmental factors which hinder growth potential and may include drought, low amount of growing media and soil pH levels.