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Melbourne Needs 200,000 New Trees to Protect Quality of Life, Study Shows

Melbourne Needs 200,000 New Trees to Protect Quality of Life, Study Shows

Up to 200,000 trees will be needed across inner Melbourne to prevent a widespread loss of canopy – and associated impacts to quality of life – from the planned construction of 800,000 new homes, research suggests.

A new report by the housing advocacy group Yimby Melbourne, released onWednesday, estimates 24.3 hectares (60 acres) of residential tree canopy cover – the equivalent of six cricket ovals – could be lost each year as a result of densification across the 19 local government areas (LGAs) that make up inner Melbourne.

Using publicly available tree canopy, planning and other spatial data, the report estimates the amount of trees that may be removed from private properties each year in order for the LGAs to meet the state government’s draft housing targets.

It found Whitehorse, which takes in eastern suburbs such as Blackburn, Box Hill, Burwood, Mont Albert and Vermont, could lose 2.27 hectares of tree canopy each year, as it attempts to construct 28,210 new homes over the next decade.

It was followed by Boroondara, where 2 hectares of tree canopy could be lost annually as 23,930 more homes are added to suburbs such as Balwyn, Camberwell, Canterbury, Hawthorn and Kew.