Trees and Development

The City of Unley is known for our green leafy suburbs and streets and is proud to be recognised as a Tree City of the World.

Not only do trees make our neighbourhoods beautiful and provide us with a sense of place, they also:

• remove pollution from the air we breathe
• reduce strong winds
• provide shade and cool our homes and streets in summer
• increase property value
• hold cultural / historical value
• reduce local flooding
• improve our mental / physical health; and,
• much more!

The City of Unley has a target of 31% tree canopy cover to be achieved across the city by 2045 to improve the liveability of our homes and character of our neighbourhoods.

With 80% of land in the City of Unley not under the care and control of Council, the City’s tree canopy target cannot be met without working in partnership with the local community - including developers and property owners.

Are you planning a development in Unley?

We know that development can have an impact on our trees and tree canopy cover.

We encourage property owners to consider designing their projects to retain as many mature trees as possible during construction, or to include sufficient space to allow new plantings to thrive and plan to plant trees as soon as possible after construction.

To find out how your property contributes to tree canopy cover in Unley visit our award-winning My Canopy website. 

To help with planning and designing your outdoor spaces, the Adelaide Garden Guide for New Homes(PDF, 43MB) is a great place to start. This useful guide provides information and checklists for:

• Planning your garden while you plan your house to maximise the short-term and long-term benefits.
• Designing a garden that considers your home’s context and occupants’ lifestyle to maximise liveability, aesthetic and wellbeing benefits of the garden.
• Preparing for, constructing and planting your garden to create the conditions for long-term health.
• Caring for your trees and plants to maintain the garden’s health and enjoy its many benefits.

To help with choosing plants, our website includes information on selecting and planting trees and a guide to planting to help with ideas on local native plants, garden design and where to buy plants.

Tree Canopy Offset Incentive Scheme

• The City of Unley intends to introduce a Tree Canopy Offset Incentive Scheme to encourage the retention and planting of trees on private land to help the city reach its 31% tree canopy target by 2045.
• The Scheme cannot proceed without approval from the Minister for Planning. Council is seeking approval for a 10-year trial, with formal reviews at Years 5 and 10.
• If the Scheme is approved by the Minister for Planning: 
  • properties are encouraged to retain trees to maintain a minimum of 15% tree canopy cover at the site, or
  • a fee equivalent to 10% of annual rates will apply if, after construction, the property has less than 15% tree canopy cover.
• Once we have received approval, the proposed scheme will only apply to new developments that increase the built footprint and result in less than 15% tree canopy cover after construction,
• Any funds collected would be reinvested locally, through a dedicated fund to purchase land for tree planting and canopy restoration within Unley.
• The intent is behaviour change, not revenue raising. Properties that retain or re-establish sufficient tree canopy will not pay a fee.
• This scheme is one of the many initiatives Council delivers to support tree canopy growth in the City of Unley.

More detailed information about the proposed Scheme is available in the January 2026 Council Report.