Councillor Don Palmer Providing Local Leadership & Working for You

Last month, we debated and decided to endorse in principle “A Call to Action”. This was by way of a Motion on Notice by Cr Bonham. A decision by the way that was unanimous.

 

“A Call to Action” is a report prepared on behalf of the Conservation Council of South Australia. The full title is “A Call To Action: Protecting Adelaide’s Tree Canopy. Their Chief Executive Mr Craig Wilkins, and Mr Peter Croft, presented this report to Council three months ago.

A call to Action: Protecting AdelaThe suggestions made in the report align with our philosophy. Further, they are very much those expressed by Unley in our ‘Tree Strategy’ and various other written articles.

It has a focus on the State Parliament. Above all, a focus on changing legislation to protect our tree canopy.

A.

Endorsing the report is in keeping with action E3.3 of our Tree Strategy. Moreover, to advocate for legislative controls to improve outcomes for retaining and increasing trees wherever possible.

Cr Salaman moved a similar motion back in 2017. The current motion, in other words, replicates and expands on it.  

His motion was to request the LGA to seek change from the Government. More importantly, to change planning legislation concerning the qualification of arborists who prepare tree reports in support of Development Applications.

That motion was debated at the 2017 LGA AGM. Most importantly, I successfully argued the motion when as Deputy Mayor and Council spokesperson in the absence of our Mayor.

It asks for more than that motion. It seeks to prevent arborists who have prepared a report for a DA to contract for its pruning or removal. Similarly, this is in keeping with our submission, inspired by me, to the recent Planning and Design Code.

To improve the chance of success of the motion, we did amend it. We will, as a result, seek the input of the Eastern Regional Alliance (ERA). The alliance is a group of eastern-based councils, all of whom have similar tree canopy challenges as us. With Unley driving it of course.