We are excited to announce that the City of Mitcham has once again been named as a Tree City of the World for the fifth consecutive year! This recognition highlights our commitment to caring for our trees and urban forests.

The aim of the Tree Cities of the World initiative, led by Arbor Day Foundation, is to connect cities around the world to share and adopt best practices in managing trees and forests. We join nine other Cities in Australia with the prestigious title.

“Mitcham joins cities around the world that have taken steps toward robust and healthy city forests,” said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees clean our air and water, provide shade, and beautify the places we live and work. This designation signifies Mitcham’s commitment to being a healthier, happier city.”

As part of Mitcham’s Tree Strategy 2016-2025, City of Mitcham has increased its tree planting program to plant 1,800 trees annually by 2025, up from 1,100 in 2017. Additionally, we've implemented measures such as increased street tree audits and accelerated tree replacement program.

Research teams are monitoring sites in Hawthorn and Kingswood at different times during the day and night in a car equipped to measure temperature and humidity.

These sites are home to 180 Treenet Inlets installed by Council, along with hundreds of others across the City since 2015. Inlets collect stormwater from streets and allow it to soak into the verge through a gravel-filled well where it can be used by trees or soak into the groundwater. Roots extract water from the soil around the well, maintaining the health of the trees and keeping our streets cool in summer.

Researchers have also fitted sensors into tree canopies to show how the extra water that soaks into the verges alters the local climate and sap flow meters to show how quickly sap rises to replace the water lost from leaves.

When water evaporates from leaves of trees it cools our streets the same way evaporative air conditioners cool our homes.

Early indications suggest that a Treenet Inlet can boost the cooling power of a street tree on a summer’s day by about as much as running a domestic air conditioner for 12 hours.

Council acknowledges the funding and support provided by the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board through the Water Sustainability Grants Program 2019/20, and the ongoing collaboration and support of UniSA, Flinders University, The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, TREENET Inc., the Government of South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water, Water Sensitive South Australia and the Environment Protection Authority.

For more information, visit mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/environment/water/environmentally-friendly-stormwater-works.

Mitcham’s urban forest is an essential public asset which supports community and environmental wellbeing, the liveability of our city, and it will help us adapt to the changing climate. Planting and maintaining trees is a core service of Council. Council allocates a considerable budget each year to plant, maintain and manage trees in our urban forest so that they will continue to deliver human, social, environmental and economic benefits well into the future.

Council's tree planting program stretches from May to September each year. Trees are planted in streets where opportunities exist due to the removal of dead or diseased trees, where there are gaps in established avenues and where residents have requested that trees be planted. 
View 2021 Tree Planting Program flyer.

Requests for trees to be planted can be made by phoning Council on 1300 133 466 or by email to mitcham@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au

Maintenance of trees in streets and on reserves is a core function of Council. Maintenance functions typically include pruning and pest treatment of mature trees and watering, formative pruning and staking of saplings. Council’s qualified arborists are trained to meet most maintenance requirements. Contractors may also be engaged by Council on occasions where work is beyond the capacity of staff, or where specialist skills are required. Residents are not authorised to prune street or reserve trees. Residents can request maintenance work for street and reserve trees by phoning 1300 133 466 or by email to mitcham@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au.

Council’s tree policy guides that trees are to be preserved where this is reasonably achievable, though on occasion tree removal may be necessary. Trees are removed when they die or when they are damaged and present unacceptable risk which cannot be managed in any other reasonable way. Removal of any tree over five metres in height requires a decision of Full Council unless it is dead, is a declared pest species, presents an immediate and unacceptable risk, or is diseased and treatment is not feasible. Regulated or significant trees may require further approvals. Residents wishing to request the removal of trees under Council’s care and control may contact Council by phoning 1300 133 466 or by email to mitcham@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au.

Trees are usually the dominant visual element in the landscape so species selection has a major impact on street amenity. As trees deliver a range of essential functions beyond streetscape amenity, Council considers many aspects when selecting tree species. Trees are significant investments so selected species must live long enough to return their value to the community, and must survive and thrive under local conditions.

Urban environments present challenges to establishing and maintaining trees. Space is restricted by overhead and underground utilities and services, roads, footpaths and driveways, so planting in streets is controlled by the Local Government Act 1999, Electricity Act 1996, Electricity (Principles of Vegetation Clearance) Regulations 2010 and the Water Industry Regulations 2012. Within this regulatory framework Council plants a diverse range of indigenous, native and exotic, evergreen and deciduous species to ensure that streets remain attractive, functional and low risk. Council plants species which are appropriate for the streetscape and are well suited to local conditions.

Maintenance of private vegetation that overhangs or encroaches onto Council land is the responsibility of the property owner.

Council has processes to manage reports of overhanging private vegetation and we aim to work with property owners to ensure the footpath is safe and accessible. Under Section 254 of the Local Government Act 1999, Council can request that the vegetation is cut back to meet Council standards.

Read the Overhanging Vegetation Pamphlet.

Residents of Mitcham may be permitted to pick olives from Council properties provided;

1. Written approval is obtained from Council’s Natural Resources Department.
2. No damage is caused to the trees or Council property.
3. The area is left ‘as found’.
4. Only sufficient olives are picked for the use of the resident’s household.

Please contact Council’s Natural Resources Department on 8372 8888.