Trees are a major asset and play an important role in making Palmerston a liveable, attractive, and healthy city. Trees beautify and soften streetscapes, provide improved amenity Public Open Space, offer habitat for wildlife, and play a significant role in determining the urban character of our city.
Council undertakes annual programs that maintain, protect, and enhance our urban forest.
Council has adopted a policy called Preserving Our Urban Forest, that has the purpose of demonstrating Council’s commitment to environmental sustainability through the protection, management, and maintenance of its urban trees.
Annual Revegetation Program
Council has a committed annual program of tree planting aimed at greening, cooling, and shading the city. Council planted 625 new trees in the 2019/20 financial year. This program of revegetation will continue into 2021, with strategic planting undertaken to reduce heat sinks and improve urban biodiversity.
Council also recognises that community members may want to assist with the greening of our city by requesting the planting of trees in their neighbouring verge or public open space. If you would like to request the planting of a tree, please fill in the form at the bottom of this page. Please refer to the Preserving Our Urban Forest Policy prior to filling in this form.
Tree Pruning
Pruning of trees is an essential step to ensuring the structural integrity of the tree. Maintaining the tree's structure helps mitigate the risk of broken limbs and falling branches. Council undertakes an annual pruning program across Council vested areas.
Tree Inspections
Trees grow quickly in our tropical urban environment and require specialised care and management. City of Palmerston has adopted the (QTRA) Quantified Tree Risk Assessment methodology for risk management of Council trees. Council arborists undertake QTRA’s to determine if trees are severely damaged, distressed, diseased or dying. This assessment provides a ‘risk of harm score’ and guides whether tree maintenance is required. If you notice a tree in a public place that you think requires an assessment, please call the Public Open Space Team on (08) 8935 9922 or email palmerston@palmerston.nt.gov.au