Parks and Reserves
The City of Perth has a variety of parkland areas, reserves and public open space which offer both passive and active recreation opportunities.
Explore our heritage listed parks like Stirling Gardens, Queens Gardens and Harold Boas Gardens or enjoy the wetlands at Point Fraser and its variety of water birds and native plants.
Trees
The City of Perth is home to over 16,000 trees, valued at over $100 million. Trees are a valuable asset and improve the livability, landscape character, biodiversity and climate resilience of the city. The City recognises and values trees as an important community asset and will actively protect, maintain and increase its tree population.
Our tree management is guided by our Tree Protection Policy, Urban Forest Plan 2016-2036 and our Street Tree Guide 2023.
Street Tree Maintenance
All street trees receive an annual sector prune to provide sufficient clearances to powerlines, road, pedestrian paths and property clearance. Residents can request additional pruning to the street tree adjacent to their property and it will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Tree Planting
To help us increase our canopy coverage we have annual planting programs which run between the cooler months of April to October each year.
Urban Forest Infill Planting - Targeted program of new plantings to fill gaps in existing street tree planting within each of the City’s neighbourhoods. See our Urban Greening page for more information.
Replacement Planting - Installing replacement trees at previous sites where trees have been removed due to vandalism, disease, damage.
Tree Month - A month of planting days, sustainability information sessions and verge transformations to encourage the greening of our city.
Other project planting - Small scale greening through transformation of turfed areas and community/corporate planting days.
How can you help?
We encourage all residents to help take care of their street trees by giving them additional water during the warmer months directly to the base of the tree and reporting any concerns with their health and condition. If you would like to know more about the trees in our City you can use our mapping tool or you can get in touch with us info@cityofperth.wa.gov.au or on 9461 3333.
Environment
Our city is home to many different species such as our Western Grey Kangaroos on Heirisson Island, our Eastern Ospreys at Mardalup and our Quendas in Victoria Gardens. The City of Perth is committed to increasing the biodiversity of our flora and ensuring safe habitats to support many species.
What wildlife might you see?
| Swans | Hawks | Ibises |
| Ducks | Native hens | Parrots |
| Grebes | Oystercatchers | Kangaroos |
| Darters/cormorants | Gulls | Dolphins |
| Pelicans | Terns | Quendas |
| Egrets | Doves | Rakali |
| Herons | Cockatoos | Snake neck turtles |
Native Bees
Pollinators are incredibly important to our ecosystem and our native bees are a vital part. Western Australia is home to around 800 species of bees which vary widely in their size, form, colour and behaviour, however all native bees are facing challenges from loss of habitat.
How can you help native bees?
- Plant a diverse range of endemic native plants including favourites like native peas, daises, eucalyptus, banksia and acacia species.
- Retain old trees and woody plants to provide bees a nesting habitat.
- Install bee hotels to provide additional nesting opportunities.
- Provide shallow water sources with stones/sand to allow bees to drink safely.
Verges
The City of Perth encourages owners of single residential properties to install and maintain soft landscaping on the verge directly adjacent to their property to contribute to the aesthetic character of the streetscape, support biodiversity, reduce the use of impervious surfaces, incorporate water sensitive urban design principles and to meet all required safety standards.
Developing your verge
If you would like to transform your verge please see below what treatments are permissible and what requires approval. Any development other than what is listed in the permissible categories must submitted for approval.
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Permissible
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Not permissible
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Weed Control Verge Exemption Register
Residents have the option to exempt their verge adjacent from chemical weed control on the proviso that they maintain the verge and keep it weed free. If you would your verge exempted please complete the Residential Weed Control Exemption form. The exemption runs from financial years and residents are requested to confirm their exemption at the start of every financial year.
Check out some of our Tree Month verge transformations
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Frequently asked questionsHow can I request an additional street tree?
Please email through the detail of your request and the proposed site to info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au. The request will be considered, and you will be notified of the outcome.
How can I request pruning of a street tree?
Please email through the detail of your request and any associated photos to info.city@cityofperth.wa.gov.au. Pruning requests are assessed on a case by case basis factoring in tree health and pedestrian and vehicle safety.
Can I request a street tree be removed?
The retention, protection and maintenance of existing trees is essential to ensure they deliver their full potential of environmental, social, economic, ecological and aesthetic benefits. All removals are carefully considered and circumstances under which a removal would be considered are: the tree is damaged, post-mature, diseased, in decline or poses a safety risk. If you believe a street tree falls into one of these categories please provide these details in correspondence addressed to the Parks Unit.
How do I apply for verge development approval/assistance?
if you wish to install a treatment other than the approved treatments listed in our residential verge management guidelines please complete the Verge Development Form application. All applications will be assessed in line with the verge management criteria and the suitability of the site.
What treatments can I install on my verge?
Permissible verge treatments not requiring approval include live turf and prostrate native ground covers with a maximum growth height. Verge treatments that are permissible but require approval include plants with a mature height of less than 0.5m. -
About our green spaces
Trees
- Home to 16,493 trees and 247 species
- These trees remove 9.23 tonnes of pollution from the air
- 19% of our public realm in the City of Perth is covered by tree canopy (excluding Kings Park)
Parks
- Our locality covers 150 hectares of public open space, parkland areas and reserves
- 16 Parkland areas and reserves offering passive and active recreation
- 10 Heritage listed Parks and Gardens
- Our parklands range from heritage gardens in the paradise garden design to our constructed wetland at Point Fraser
Flora
- The City uses W.A natives at its entry statements and throughout the gardens with some gardens having thematic requirements around the use of West Australian species, riverine endemics, and Noongar significant species.
- During the species selection process, the soil type, soil pH and aspect are some of the main characteristics used to create the plant palettes for the areas to be planted.
Fauna
- Some of the fauna you can expect to see in the City’s boundary are river dolphins, Quendas, Rakali, great egret, Fairy Tern, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos, Oblong Turtles.
Irrigation
- The City has one artesian bore at Langley Park, 15 superficial bores and one stormwater capture and reuse facility at Claisebrook Lake. Most irrigation is from these sources, with minimal irrigation demand on the scheme water.
See also
Documents
- Residential Verge Management Guidelines1.9 MB | PDF Document