Council at its meeting on Monday 18 December 2023 adopted 257 trees at 16 sites to be included on the Register of Significant Trees to better recognise and protect our local trees of visual, botanical, ecological and historical, commemorative, cultural or social significance.

Nominations for Significant Trees on private and public land have re-opened and can be nominated online through Councils YourSay page.
 
All trees in the Georges River Council area are valued and currently protected under State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 and Council's Tree Management Policy. The Significant Tree Register will be managed in accordance with Councils Tree Management Policy.

No.	Tree Species	Location & coordinates	Locality eg. Private land, Public land, individual tree, row of trees	Categories of significance
1.	Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig)	Water Street, Sans Souci - 34.002199, 151.125671	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (b), (c), (f) Historical, Commemorative, Cultural, Social ; (b), (d)
2.	74 x Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)	Laycock Road, Penshurst -33.971380617888,151.09372094496	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (c), (d)
3.	Ficus obliqua (Small-leaved Fig)	Hogben Park, Kogarah -33.957682, 151.135049	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (b), (c) Botanic / Scientific; (a) Ecological; (a)
4.	Eucalyptus pilularis (Blackbutt)	16 Wisdom Street, Connells Point -33.988597, 151.093323	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (b), (c)
5.	3x Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig)	78 Carwar Road, Carss Bush Park -33.989871377876675, 151.1197240518892	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (b), (c), (d)
6.	2 x Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya Pine)	Connells Point Reserve, Connells Point -33.9899990026945, 151.09157373007668	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (c)
7.	Eucalyptus pilularis (Blackbutt)	Connells Point Reserve, Connells Point -33.990254752394854, 151.0912947803421	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (b), (c) Ecological; (c), (e)
8.	Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum)	Corner Forest Road & Isaac Street, Peakhurst -33.967488, 151.052033	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (c) Ecological; (e)
9.	34 x Ficus microcarpa “Hillii” (Hills Weeping Fig)	Mortdale Memorial Park, Mortdale -33.971817, 151.075256	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (b), (c), (d) Historical, Commemorative, Cultural, Social; (c), (d)
10.	60 x Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box)	Anglo Square, Carlton -33.973251591823875, 151.12391710281372	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (c), (d)
11.	Pinus halepensis (Aleppo Pine)	Oatley Park, Oatley -33.97986210903918, 151.0642969608307	Public land - Individual tree	Historical, Commemorative, Cultural, Social; (a), (c), (d)
12.	25 x Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) & Melia azedarach (White Cedar)	Kogarah Park, Kogarah -33.97319820735863, 151.1298930644989	Public land - Row of trees	Historical, Commemorative, Cultural, Social; (c), (d)
13.	Ficus microcarpa “Hillii” (Hills Weeping Fig)	Lambert Reserve, Peakhurst Heights -33.97139201320119, 151.05605721473697	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (c) Historical, Commemorative, Cultural, Social; (a), (c)
14.	50 x Ficus microcarpa “Hillii” (Hills Weeping Fig)	Penshurst Street, Penshurst -33.96171087050736, 151.08551859855655	Public land - Row of trees	Visual / Aesthetic; (c), (d)
15.	Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum)	Cedar Street Reserve, Lugarno - 33.987368381982726, 151.0386121273041	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (a), (b), (c), (f) Ecological; (b), (c), (d), (e)
16.	Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum)	Shipwrights Bay Reserve foreshore, Blakehurst -33.99659073761865, 151.11091375350955	Public land - Individual tree	Visual / Aesthetic; (c), (e), (f)

 

Significant Tree Definition

A tree deemed significant in accordance with the defined categories of significance including; visual/aesthetic significance, botanic/scientific significance, ecological significance and historical, commemorative, cultural or social significance.
 

Significant Tree Criteria

Council has established four criteria used to determine the significance of a tree.

1. Visual/Aesthetic.
2. Botanic/Scientific.
3. Ecological.
4. Historical/Commemorative/Cultural/Social.

A detailed summary of each of the sub-criteria can be found in the Significant Tree Register Assessment Criteria (PDF 110 KB).

Trees considered for inclusion within the Significant Tree Register must satisfy a minimum of two (2) sub-criteria within each category. 

For example, a nominated tree can be assessed to be an appropriate addition to the Significant Tree Register under Category 1 (Visual / Aesthetic Significance) if it aligns with:

a) Trees that are outstanding for their height, trunk circumference or canopy spread; and
d) Trees that form part of a significant avenue or group.

Nomination and Review

The Significant Tree Register will be reviewed every 5 years and further nominations for inclusion of trees into the Significant Tree Register will occur when there are a significant number of nominations submitted (10+) or at the five-year review (subject to available funding).

Nominations for Significant Trees on private and public land can be made online through Councils YourSay page.
 

Summary of Assessment Process

For trees to be considered for inclusion on the Significant Tree Register, it must satisfy a minimum of two (2) sub-criteria within one category of criteria.
 
Tree nominations will be reviewed by Council staff to ensure all information has been provided correctly and meets the eligibility requirements. Then each significant tree nomination will be thoroughly assessed by an independent qualified consultant against the assessment criteria.
 
This process will initially involve a desktop-based analysis of the nomination, taking into consideration all available resources including a detailed review of provided photography as well as street and aerial imagery. Where further information is required to satisfy the criteria, an on-site Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) may be carried out by inspecting the tree.
 
Part of this assessment includes:

1. Assessment of each tree and species in relation to its natural occurrence.
2. Research of the cultural history, when relevant, through reports, photographs, archival material and oral evidence.
3. Evaluation of the collected data on the basis of each tree’s contextual relationship to other similar trees and its relative importance.

In certain instances, sub-consultants may need to be engaged to assist with the assessment by providing further specialist information for trees which are deemed to have either Ecological Significance or Historical, Commemorative, Cultural or Social Significance.
 
As the assessment criteria is subjective and requires highly technical knowledge for each individual tree species, an independent qualified consultant will be engaged to undertake the assessment of significant tree nominations aligned with the above assessment criteria.

The consultant will undertake a robust assessment of each nominated tree through a combination of detailed research, desktop analysis, field work and documentation. Where further information is required to satisfy the criteria, an on-site Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) will be carried out to inspect the tree.
 

Exclusions from the Significant Tree Register

Trees which feature one or more of the following characteristics will generally not be considered appropriate for inclusion on the Register (subject to further assessment):

• Trees which are classified as dead, dying or which feature an unacceptable level of risk to human life or property.
• Trees which are assessed to have a ‘Very Short’ (under 5 years) Useful Life Expectancy.
• Trees of a species listed as undesirable under Section 2.4 of the Georges River Tree Management Policy 2019 (PDF 672 KB).
• Any commercial or domestic tree grown for the purpose of fruit or fodder production except for native species such as Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), Lilly Pilly (Acmena spp, Syzygium spp.), Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus spp).
• Trees recognised in Appendix 1 and 2 Priority weeds for the Greater Sydney Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan (PDF 3.43 MB) under the Biosecurity Act 2015.