Nillumbik Urban Tree Canopy Strategy 2024-2040

Nillumbik has the second highest urban canopy cover in all of Melbourne.

This canopy contributes greatly to the green, leafy neighbourhood character of our Shire and provides a wide range of community and environmental benefits.

So it is important that we all do what we can to help protect – and enhance – the extent, health and resilience of trees across our urban areas. 

Council has an Urban Tree Canopy Strategy 2024-2040(PDF, 6MB) which provides a 15-year framework for strategic action, focused on growing Nillumbik’s urban canopy on both Council land and on private land.

It includes targets of:

  1. overall average urban canopy cover of 40 per cent
  2. an increase in canopy in areas experiencing higher urban heat island effect - minimum urban canopy cover of 25 per cent in every suburb and township.

We assess aerial photography every four years to ascertain whether these targets are being achieved and to help inform future action (see below).

What we are doing

Each year, Council endorses an annual implementation plan which lists the action being prioritised that year. 

Council is currently in Year 2 of implementation. The Nillumbik Urban Tree Canopy Strategy Year 2 (2025-26) Implementation Plan(PDF, 208KB) was endorsed in July 2025. Its actions are currently being delivered.

We are committed to updating the community annually on what is being achieved. You can read the detail on the achievements and status of work undertaken in recent years:

Nillumbik Urban Tree Canopy Strategy Year 1 (2024-25) Implementation Report(PDF, 273KB)

Additionally, you can find out how Council manages the 500,000 trees that are located on Nillumbik reserves, roadsides and other Council properties such as parks and early learning centres, report a tree issue, request a street tree and more on the trees webpage.

How are we tracking?

Our overarching indicator is to measure the “extent of urban tree canopy cover (two metres + height)” by analysing aerial photography. 

As a baseline, in 2021 Nillumbik’s urban suburbs and townships had a combined average of 39 per cent tree canopy cover. Some localities had significantly more or less canopy than this.

Bar chart showing percentage of tree canopy in Nillumbik townships in 2021. The average overall is 39%.

 

This analysis will be done at least every four years. 

Associated canopy cover mapping, overlaid on aerial photography, is available in the next section of this web page. 

Note – If, in the future, it becomes feasible to access data that measures urban canopy at other heights (eg three meters + height or even higher) we will report on that data also.

Urban canopy cover maps

View a map of Nillumbik's overall urban tree canopy, or zoom in to specific urban and township areas.

Urban Tree Canopy Coverage map - Nillumbik overview(PDF, 4MB)

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