About the draft Fig Tree Management Plan

There are almost 1,000 beautiful Fig trees on our streets and in our parks and they bring huge benefits in terms of providing shade, cooling our streets, and removing pollutants from the air. To make sure we take care of these trees for years to come, we've drafted a 10 year Fig Tree Management Plan. You're invited to review the draft plan and provide feedback by Sunday 15 October 2023.

Background

The draft plan has been developed in response to a Council Notice of Motion which resolved:

Council staff prepare a report, for consideration by Council, setting out a detailed plan of management for the proper preservation, care and management of Council owned/public Ficus species (Fig) trees that exist as street trees in the municipality, such report to:

A. be subject to and consistent with Council’s overall Tree Management Policy 2011; and

B. consider proactive and consistent strategies to manage these trees including clear timeframes for pruning and maintenance.

Extensive analysis was undertaken on a sample of 553 Hills Figs, and the results show that this species is doing a great deal of heavy lifting in terms of canopy cover contribution and ecosystems benefits. Our research found that although the sample made up only 3% of the total tree population (of all tree species), overall they:

  • Contribute to 14% of the canopy cover
  • Contribute to 14% of avoided run-off
  • Remove 14% of the air pollutants of the tree population
  • Contribute to 28% of stored carbon

Conserving and increasing Woollahra’s canopy cover is important in maintaining the leafy character of the area. Our Draft Urban Forest Strategy has recently been exhibited which proposes a canopy cover target of 30% by 2050. Often in the past, tree planting did not account for the space requirements of mature trees which has made it difficult to manage. For some time, Council have applied a building pruning standard to provide clearance of 2m for all Council-managed trees.

The draft Fig Management Plan complements our existing Tree Management Policy (2011) and proposes to increase the building clearance distance by pruning all branches less than 150mm diameter within 3m of any building. The draft plan also includes a provision to conduct tree specific assessments for each Fig tree, and where required, a pruning specification will be made for building, road and path clearance, deadwood and defective branch removal.

More information

The average leaf area (crown dimension) of our Fig trees is 254m². This is significantly larger compared to most other species which have 100m² or less of crown area per tree. Figs are also relatively faster growers than most other tree species. In other words, Fig trees are substantial contributors to the canopy cover in our area and bring a wealth of benefits to the environment and ecosystem.

The size of our Fig trees does bring challenges for our urban areas and there is a need to have a Fig-specific plan in place to manage them. We need to take care of our Fig trees so we can continue to receive the benefits they bring to our environment.

Council's Tree Management Policy (TMP) covers the key principles and processes used for maintaining our public and private tree collections in a safe, healthy and environmentally sensitive way.

The guidelines developed in the TMP outline how we maintain reasonable and safe clearances between trees and pedestrians, vehicles, and built structures.

The draft Fig Management Plan deals specifically with pruning clearances for public-managed Fig trees. As such, it is proposed to sit as an addendum to the TMP.

No other parts of the TMP have changed and there are also no changes to other tree related plans or policy documents.

The draft Fig Management Plan proposes an increase in building clearances which has been developed based on rigorous field testing and is in line with relevant standards and best practice. It has been found that the increase in building clearance should have minimal impact to the Fig tree population and on Council’s overall urban tree canopy.

Funding valued at $2.3M has been secure through Council’s Special Rate Variation. This funding will go towards management of Fig trees over a 10 year period and will be used to implement the 10 year pruning program.

Have your say

We asked for feedback on the draft Fig Management Plan via the following methods:

  • Online: Complete the feedback form below
  • Email: records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au, quoting reference - SC6945
  • Mail: Letter addressed to the General Manager at Woollahra Council, PO Box 61, Double Bay NSW 1360, quoting reference - SC6945

Feedback closed at 11:59pm on Sunday 15 October 2023.