Newcastle Street cover Tree Masterplan photos September 2011 Production Street Tree Master Plan was prepared by The City of Newcastle Liveable City Group Enquiries For information about this document contact: The City of Newcastle Phone: 02 4974 2000 Published by The City of Newcastle 282 King Street, Newcastle Phone: 02 4974 2000 (main switchboard) Post: PO Box 489 Newcastle NSW 2300 Australia Fax: 02 4974 2222 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au September 2011 © 2011 The City of Newcastle PART A: Introduction Council's Strategic Direction .......................................................................... 6 Part B: Design The Urban Landscape Context ..................................................................... 9 Design Considerations ...................................................................................10 High Profi le and Special Areas ...................................................................... 12 Part C: Deciding What to Plant The Approach to Species Selection ...............................................................15 The Selection Process ...................................................................................16 Part D: Planting our streets Where, When and What to Plant ....................................................................25 Implementation .............................................................................................. 26 Part E: Appendices 1 Snapshot of Newcastle's Trees 2010 ........................................................ 28 2 The Origins of Street Tree Planting in Newcastle ......................................30 3 The Species Matrix .................................................................................. 34 4 Space Available Mapping – Sample Street Maps .................................... 38 5 Guidelines for Street Tree Placement - Typical Cross-sections ...............40 6 Suburb Assessments ................................................................................ 48 7 Site Inspection Form .................................................................................. 118 8 Compliance with Statewide Obligations ..................................................... 119 References ................................................................................................120 Contents Part A The Street Tree Master plan (STMP) is a key action from the Newcastle Urban Forest Policy 2008 and details the rationale and methodology underpinning street tree planting in Newcastle. Street trees are a major public infrastructure asset and so it is essential to establish a clear and comprehensive approach to making decisions about what should be planted and where. The STMP streamlines the design and species selection process. Most street tree master planning involves a prescriptive approach where species are indentifi ed or nominated for each street within the public domain. This STMP adopts a different approach that begins with analysis of design opportunities, site constraints and species characteristics as key considerations prior to determining a short list of suitable species. The mapping attached to this plan represents constraints and opportunities rather than species selection mapping. Street tree establishment and maintenance practices and processes are separately detailed in the Urban Forest Technical Manual DCP 2005. As of March 2011 council has collected data on 109,000 street and park trees (excluding bushland). Of the 90,000 street tree sites 68% have existing trees and 32% are vacant planting sites. As the urban tree population is not self-renewing it needs to be planted, managed and renewed on a cyclical basis. Also a majority of trees on private land are likely to be lost and may not be replaced due to the need for urban consolidation and other development. Therefore the STMP is a critical element to sustaining the benefi ts of the public urban forest. The City of Newcastle Newcastle Street Tree Master Plan introduction 5 Council’s Strategic Direction The Newcastle Urban Forest Policy In May 2008 Council adopted the Newcastle Urban In order to respond to these council directions tree Forest Policy (UFP) and Background Paper. asset management planning is necessary. The STMP responds to two key strategies from Council’s resolution: The following seven key tree asset management objectives will apply within the STMP: 1. “To develop a co-ordinated approach to street tree planting, establishment and maintenance to • Establish and maintain an appropriate diversity deliver the potential benefi ts of the urban forest of tree age and species throughout the public and to achieve the urban forest management urban forest as a key contribution to the overall objectives” health, biodiversity and sustainability of the urban forest. 2. “To ensure the appropriate species are planted on public land to limit future maintenance costs • Use large, long-lived trees wherever possible in and maximise the urban forest benefi ts.” order to maximise tree biomass and to extend the period of accrued urban forest benefi ts • Adopt procedures and technology including Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and root- vault planting to improve the success rate and the life span of the city's street tree investments • Use tree planting to enhance the visual, historical and environmental aspects of the urban form • Develop a list of site and climate compatible tree species for use in Newcastle • Maximise the potential of each street to accommodate trees • Plant trees to maximise the potential of the available space. The City of Newcastle Newcastle Street Tree Master Plan 6 Newcastle 2030 Community Strategic Plan The 2030 planning process has identifi ed seven themes that Council is using to build future direction. The STMP is connected most closely to: Theme 2 Protected and Enhanced Environment Objective: Our unique natural environment is maintained, enhanced and connected. Outcome: Protection of Biodiversity . Theme 3 Vibrant and Activated Public Places Objective: Safe and activated places that are used by people day and night. Strategy: Create streetscapes and public places that are clean and attractive, where people feel safe. Theme 5 Liveable and Distinctive Built Environment Objective: A built environment that maintains and enhances our sense of identity. Strategy: Ensure good quality development with active publicly accessible frontages and active streetscapes. The City of Newcastle Newcastle Street Tree Master Plan 7 The City of Newcastle Newcastle Street Tree Master Plan 8 Part B The Urban Landscape Context Tree lined streets are a living network ‘Right Tree Right Place’ of green, defi ning avenues, entrances, The adage of planting the ‘right tree in the right place’ is often stated although it has not often been squares, parks and gardens and the applied in past planting practice. Relatively few of design of these spaces gives structure Newcastle’s streets were originally designed to and coherence to our experience of the accommodate street trees and subsequent planting public realm. periods have sought to fi t popular and often quite large growing species into constrained spaces such Street trees are ‘multipurpose’ infrastructure as narrow footpaths or under power lines. providing numerous benefi ts and are the most signifi cant form of vegetation used in the public ‘Right tree in the right place’ means selecting urban landscape – as such they are amongst species that will reach maturity without Newcastle’s most important public assets. compromising other assets and property in the immediate vicinity. Where the street footway or Because trees in the public realm contribute to the overhead power lines constrain the planting of a social, cultural, economic and environmental well preferred species, then street redesign may be the being of our community, they are important and most appropriate solution. For example planting highly valued by residents and visitors alike. might be moved into the street pavement and accommodated in underground vaults. Trees, especially large trees, help defi ne the character of places and civic venues and can be used in symbolic and historic roles. Trees also improve the city, making it a liveable place by encouraging people to meet, linger and socialise in shady, comfortable surrounds. They make our city beautiful, improve the air by removing carbon dioxide and returning oxygen, enhance property values and reduce energy needs by providing cooling shade. Streets shaded by trees provide greater comfort for pedestrians, contribute to increased community pride and increase footway/ roadway longevity. Therefore it is important to ensure integrated planning and design of streets so the community’s investment provides benefi cial returns over the long term. The City of Newcastle Newcastle Street Tree Master Plan design 9 Design Considerations The design of Newcastle’s streetscapes occurs at Process several levels. The process moves from the broad As a fi rst step at this broad scale the proposed tree scale to local scale through to detail, taking account planting needs to: of regional and sub-regional spatial strategies and 1. Respond to the natural systems and features catchment issues, land uses and the overall urban underlying the city structure structure. 2. Respond to the existing urban structure and form This part of the plan Part B, discusses the broad scale urban design approaches to street tree 3. Respond to the cultural and historical planting. Once the planning and design parameters