Re-visit for Geelong tree plan

THE City of Greater Geelong has tweaked two-year-old vegetation rules to provide greater clarity around the guidelines.

The council’s Tree Management Policy is again open for public comment following changes to an existing 2020 document.

According to the city, improvements in the current policy include specifying that it applies only to city-owned and managed trees, plus adding clauses and updated wording in passages.

COGG said the plan aimed to “improve [Geelong’s] urban forest, enhance canopy cover and build connections with native vegetation”.

“Trees form an essential part of a healthy urban environment and provide many social, economic and environmental benefits,” city mayor Peter Murrihy said.

“The Tree Management Policy continues to be an effective management tool for street and park trees, providing consistent and clear guidance on the management of trees.”

City works, parks and gardens portfolio chair Anthony Aitken encouraged residents to have their say on the updated strategy.

“We have engaged with stakeholders to make amendments to this policy and we are really keen to gather further feedback from the community,” Cr Aitken said.

“I encourage anyone with an interest in this to have their say throughout the engagement period.”

Engagement on the plan opened last week and is open until October 28.