At its meeting on 20 May Council considered a report including community feedback and decided the following:

1.That Council adopt the Urban Forest Policy subject to:

a)inclusion of the following item in the Strategic Action Plan:

Develop plain language material informing residents about the options, processes, and response times relating to pruning and removal of trees, to be letterboxed to all households and provided at Council service centres, customer service stalls, and the Inner West Sustainability Hub;

b)inclusion of tree canopy measures and planting targets in the Policy;

c)increase of the minimum notification period for removal to 14 days;

d)requirement for annual urban forest monitoring reports to Council; and

e)the Strategic Action Plan be expanded to clearly identify the resourcing, timelines, and responsible Council units for delivering each action.

2.That Council update the Policy Register and publish, as applicable, internally and externally the adopted Urban Forest Policy.

3.That Council undertake a review of the Policy in 12 months’ time to assess its application, with a report back to Council.

4.That Council note Council’s adopted target of 1,000 new street trees planted per year, with almost 700 new trees planted so far in 2025, and the establishment of micro-forests in every ward, and reaffirm Council’s commitment to protecting and expanding our urban tree canopy, including prioritising new planting along urban roads, town centres, and adjacent to play spaces.

5.That Council receive a report on opportunities to improve maintenance and pruning of street trees, including a review of pruning schedules and customer service responsiveness.