EAST FREO is set to become a lot greener after its council announced it will add “over 2000” native plants to its urban canopy. 

Following the death of a number of trees last summer and as part of its Climate Emergency Action Plan, the Town is aiming to increase its total canopy cover to 30 per cent

Starting this week, 243 trees and 2000 mature understory plants will be distributed and planted around East Freo, including at the newly-built Community Park, Henry Jeffrey Oval, Wauhop Park, East Freo Tennis Club, and various other locations around Marmion Street, Andrews Road, and Stirling Highway. 

• Council staff get stuck into greening up East Freo, after a hot summer took out a bunch of trees.

Tree species include peppermint, Fremantle mallee, coastal moort, red iron bark, and red cap gums which the Town says were specifically chosen as non-reproductive hosts of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer. 

Town CEO Jonathan Throssell says it was “extremely important” to factor in the PSHB when selecting tree species, as the Borer is running rampant through Perth’s existing urban canopy. 

Just this week the Cook government acknowledged that eradicating the borer was no longer feasible.

“The Town has been working very closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development for four years [to establish the species],” Mr Throssell said. 

“As a result, some very popular street trees, both native and exotic, had to be excluded from our planting list.” 

Mature plants were also preferred over new tubestock, according to Mr Throssell, to ensure a greater survival rate and “faster establishment” in busier places around the town.

“Mature plants were selected to be planted around the East Fremantle Community Park [for example], which has a lot of foot traffic and dog walking,” Mr Throssell said. 

“The larger plants will be more visible and are more resilient when first planted and should cope better with the anticipated foot traffic or weather extremes.”

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER