Urban Trees - Elms of Risby

11/08/2026

Lets celebrate Urban Trees

Add your picture and comment what it means to you

Examples from around the corner to far and wide are encouraged

Pruned or unpruned these intersrate trees provide shade, reducing urban heating, divert storm water run off and provide habitat for birds.

09/08/2026

Street trees worth more than their looks

With predictions of a record breaking el nino weather event ahead, likely to produce heat waves which even us on the NW coast feel the adverse effects from on our health and stress on our health care system...then this is not the time to be removing mature street trees.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-31/nsw-el-nino-weather-extreme-heat-australia/106973840

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/ #/overview/summary

Green-blue-grey infrastructure can help beat city heat 🌳🌊🏗️

A research drawing together findings from numerous studies identifies the effectiveness of 51 types of green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) – ie. plant-based, water-based, and built concrete installations – from street trees to vegetated balconies.

Main findings? Botanical gardens, wetlands, green walls, and street trees provide the most effective cooling benefits, while also managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and sequestering CO₂. 🌡️ Street trees stand out for their dual role in cooling and climate adaptation.

The study also acknowledges challenges, including maintenance costs and potential land-use conflicts.

As cities face rising risks of extreme heatwaves, GBGI can help reduce risks for urban communities ➡️ https://ow.ly/8nRL50W3Yxr

07/08/2026

Lets celebrate Urban Trees

Add your picture and comment what it means to you

Examples from around the corner to far and wide are encouraged

31/07/2026

19/07/2026

Have your say https://forms.gle/T9FJpwyfNDf1Zkvz7

25 Elm trees in Risby St are scheduled for removal from one of Ulverstone's most recognisable streets.

Streetscapes belong to the community, not individual residents.

The Urban Trees - Elms of Risby group are pleased to launch their petition https://forms.gle/T9FJpwyfNDf1Zkvz7 calling on council to redesign the road works to retain as many of the elms as possible given the well known values these trees bring to the broader community, our health, economy and environment.

Having stood for generations they elms provide shade, improve our wellbeing and give Risby St its beauty and much much more

Central Coast Council claims that retaining trees is not feasible given the proposed road works, yet best practice says the road works should be designed around the trees

This decision will shape our neighbourhood for decades to come

Have your say https://forms.gle/T9FJpwyfNDf1Zkvz7

12/07/2026

'Tree of the month'

Here's a great idea of a community action to highlight the value of urban trees, the services and benefits they provide.

Great opportunity to raise awareness of Central Coast Councils Greening Central Coast Strategy https://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/live/environment/greening-central-coast/

Central Coast Council

12/07/2026

This is why cities need more trees!
This image captures the urban heat island effect in real time. Surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and parked cars absorb and retain large amounts of solar heat, pushing temperatures far above the surrounding air. In contrast, shaded areas and vegetation remain significantly cooler due to evapotranspiration and reduced exposure to direct sunlight.

The difference is striking: on the same , exposed surfaces can exceed 70°C, while shaded ground remains close to 27°C. It is a clear reminder that urban greenery is not just aesthetic — it is essential infrastructure for cooling cities, improving air quality, and making public spaces more livable.

05/07/2026

Twenty-five mature elm trees are slated for removal from one of Ulverstone's most recognisable streetscapes in the coming months.

Council claims retaining the trees "is not feasible given the proposed works." Best practice says the works should be designed around the trees, not the other way around.

These trees provide shade, mental and physical health benefits and a unique character that cannot be replaced for generations.

👉 The community was promised proper process, but the paper trail shows otherwise:

🌳Lack of Consultation: community wide consultation never happened. Council only spoke with a handful of immediate residents, ignoring the broader Ulverstone community who love and value these trees.

🌳Flawed Design: Council copied and pasted a road design from a Victorian town without considering our unique Elm trees and streetscape. They designed the road first, and only brought in arborists to see if the trees would survive the construction as an afterthought.

🌳Lip Service to Strategy: Despite formally adopting a Greening the Coast Strategy, Council is doing the opposite. The current redesign of replacing all 25 mature Elm trees provides less than one third of the current canopy. The Central Coast has less than 10% urban canopy cover. We cannot afford to lose more! The destruction of the Elms on Risby St is not the first example. In 2017 an entire avenue of mature trees on Hobbs Parade were removed for a road redesign and replaced by a handful of small trees with less canopy than before. Council’s record on upholding their own Greening Strategy is dismal.

🌳Council have admitted the value of trees: Initial plans included the relocation of the Elms, which acknowledged their value to the community. This plan was quietly scrapped due to cost.

🌳Green Vandalism policy brushed aside: Council failed to investigate or deter multiple counts of tree vandalism on the street, against their own vandalism policies. Only one sign was installed after relentless questioning. This is a critical oversight, as poisoned trees are at far greater risk of falling than healthy trees.

👉 Why these trees matter to Ulverstone:

Mature trees provide immense community value and have been demonstrated to:

🌳Provide vital shade in the summer, soften the urban landscape, and contribute significantly to the visual character and community well-being of Ulverstone

🌳Encourage physical exercise and improve mental health.

🌳Reduce stormwater runoff by up to 22%

🌳Economically boost surrounding property values

🌳Soften and filter traffic noise

🌳Lower local temperatures in summer, protecting those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart failure and emphysema against health deterioration.

Check out some of the references backing these claims up here:

👉Greening Central Coast Strategy:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CgAvntzeT/

https://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/live/environment/greening-central-coast/

👉Submission to council by Elm Tree Collective:
April 2025 - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1S8Zab2AnV/

👉Treenet https://treenet.org

👉Watch this for a visual summary of the benefits of urban trees - ‘Tree of all trades’ - https://youtu.be/kyXDjOamDj8

Message if you have specific questions.

05/07/2026

Check out Councils 'Greening Central Coast Strategy - embracing urban greenery for a sustainable future'

See the diagram from the strategy summarising many benefits of urban greenery.

Risby St redesign plans see plenty of urban greenery being removed, with little regard for sustainability, the services the trees provide; let alone any consideration to our communities health and wellbeing.

That's why we are calling council out on this project, where little more than lip service appears to be given to the Greening Central Coast Strategy.

There is no compromise, no rework of plans, ALL trees must go according to council!

https://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/live/environment/greening-central-coast/

04/07/2026

Question to council April 2025

In regard to the elm trees, are they an obstacle to development or an undervalued asset in Risby Street, in particular, noting the Council’s plan to remove all 25 trees.

🌳 We question the decision to remove all 25 Elm trees in Risby Street and replace them entirely with an exotic deciduous species in light of the significant values provided to the community by mature trees.

🌳We acknowledge the community's concerns regarding drainage and footpath uplift.

🌳We acknowledge that some trees may need removal due to health and risk concerns.

🌳We question whether a more holistic approach is possible, one that balances infrastructure needs with the preservation of valuable urban tree canopy.

🌳We are also very aware that numerous in the community, in particular Risby St are hostile to our actions. Our intent is to stimulate discussion and question evidence and long held beliefs. We absolutely acknowledge that some trees may need to be removed for health, safety or development, but is this true for all?

🌳We ask questions, we do not hurl insults.

Brief to council including literature review presented at the April 2025 council meeting.

check out our question in councils minutes https://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/council/meetings/agendas-minutes/