A plan to protect Perth's trees will be shot down by the state's planning minister despite overwhelming community support, the ABC understands.
In what was described as a "watershed moment" in March last year, the Nedlands and South Perth councils voted to approve rules which would require landowners to apply to clear trees over 8 metres on private property.
In Nedlands, the rules would have applied only to residential lots zoned R20 or below.
Advocates at the time said the changes would represent a move towards statewide tree protections.
But the ABC understands Planning Minister John Carey, who has the final say, has decided to reject the City of Nedlands' scheme amendment.
Perth has the least tree canopy of any Australian capital city, and the scheme amendment was intended to help change that.
Decision sparks concern amid 'tree canopy crisis'
WA Tree Canopy Advocates deputy chair Sarah Allchurch said it felt like the state government was prioritising housing developments over protecting trees.
"We all know that there is a housing crisis in Perth, and there's been a lot of rhetoric, and understandably, needing affordable housing," she said.
"What we also need to talk about is the fact that there is a tree canopy crisis in Perth.
"We cannot address one and not the other."
City of Nedlands Mayor Fiona Argyle said she was "deeply concerned" by the decision to scrap the plan.
"These were very light tree protections," she said.
"They were backed by council, backed by our community, backed by the WA Planning Commission and they've sat on the minister's desk since August last year," she said.
"They are very low-hanging tree protections. It basically means when you buy a block, you cannot raze every single tree before you lodge a development application.
"Climate change is the world's greatest collective action problem, and we need to be throwing absolutely everything at this."
'Decades to grow, 5 minutes to chop down'
South Perth Tree Canopy Advocates member Bronwyn David said the trees were "vital to the amenity of the community".
"[The trees] give so much benefit and they take decades and decades to grow, and they take 5 minutes to chop down," she said.
"They cool the air for a neighbourhood, they are relaxing to look at, they provide shade, they provide food and habitat for local birds and animals like the endangered black cockatoos."
Ms David said there were some protections against cutting down trees of significance on public land, but said locals deserved to have input on the removal of trees on private property.
"It doesn't mean that every tree is sacred. It just means that through the council, the community has a say in whether this tree comes or goes," she said.
"That's what the law is in most eastern states … taking out a tree is subject to the same rules and regulations as taking down a house or building or renovating."
Broader strategy planned: Minister
Mr Carey said no official decision had been made, but that the government was working on a different, broader greening strategy that "seeks to respect the rights of private property owners".
"We understand the intent and desire to provide protection for tree canopy," he said.
"We are working on a proposal to do a state-wide, or should [I] say Perth metro, tree canopy strategy."
Mr Carey accused the Nedlands mayor of skewing data about the level of support for the scheme amendment.
"It is very evident that out of the 790 submissions, more than half were not from the local community — only 13.7 per cent of affected properties actually responded," he said.
"The silent majority did not respond to this consultation process."
On March 1, the state government will also introduce long-awaited new codes for medium-density housing developments, which include "minimum tree requirements" for each affected block, and set the "retention of existing trees" as a design principle.
Australia's least leafy capital
Less than 20 per cent of Perth is covered by tree canopy, and the number is declining, as highlighted by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) at a tree canopy conference last year.
Concerns were raised by WALGA and the WA Planning Commission about how diminishing leafy canopies — replaced by pavement and housing — could make hot days unbearable.
Ms Allchurch said the Nedlands scheme amendment was an easy way for the state government to address the issue.
"It's a really good example of a way that the minister can do something positive to protect trees on private land," she said.
"These are the blocks that have one big house on it, and very often a lot of very big mature trees, those are the sorts of trees that we're trying to protect.
"This is an issue that isn't limited to one particular local government or suburb. This is an issue that's affecting Perth across the board."
Advocates have been urging the state government to implement a tree canopy target for Perth in line with other capital cities.
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