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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-08-19 Daily Xml
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Planning and Design Code

436 The Hon. T.A. FRANKS ().4 June 2025).

1. Could the minister please detail how many regulated and significant trees have been removed from state school sites in the last five years?

2. How does the minister anticipate the proposed changes will be received by the general public who made submissions to the contrary to the implementation review of the Planning and Design Code, and by the expert review panel who recommended that the exemption be removed from state school sites?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing): The Minister for Planning has advised:

The regulatory framework which provides that development approval is not required for the removal of regulated or significant trees from state school sites has been in place since 27 January 2017. Its introduction and retention is reflective of government position, that the safety of school students is paramount.

The introduction of the exemption, as evidenced in the public discourse, has not resulted in the wholesale removal of trees on state school sites. Schools and their communities value trees and the benefits they bring, including to a play-based learning environment, and do not seek their removal or pruning unless clearly required.

Schools, including the parents, teachers and support staff and students, are integral members of their local community and best placed to determine how trees are managed on school sites.

The government is consulting on a regulatory change that will ensure there is no difference between tree controls applying to a government school site and a private school site.

It is acknowledged that the expert panel for the Planning System Implementation Review made a recommendation (No. 43) that tree regulations apply to all state government projects. The government response at the time supported the recommendation in principle subject to undertaking further investigation.

As part of those investigations, the government is firming in its view that all schools are sites where trees can, in some cases, pose a significant risk to student safety. As a result, the government considers that where required, tree removal or significant pruning should be able to be easily undertaken regardless of whether it is a government or private school.

The government is consulting on this regulation change and will consider feedback on the matter before formally determining whether to proceed with making the regulatory change.

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