Help WATCA advocate for a Perth tree canopy target

Good things come in trees!

As a kid, did you ever love climbing, playing or sitting under a big old tree?

So did we.

We are WATCA - Western Australian Tree Canopy Advocates

WATCA is a community-driven not-for-profit organisation that supports the protection and expansion of our tree canopy in WA’s cities and towns. “Tree Canopy” is all the trees in our parks, gardens, and on streets and verges in our metropolitan areas.

Perth is Australia's hottest capital city

Despite this, our city has no state-wide protections for significant trees, and we don’t have a Tree Canopy Target.

Are we out of our tree?

In WA, it’s common for developers to demolish every tree on a lot regardless of whether it would have any impact on development plans.

We need to catch up to cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Singapore and set a Tree Canopy Target for Perth – to strike a balance between development and preserving our precious green spaces.

Trees make things better

Retaining and expanding our tree canopy lowers temperatures in our cities and suburbs by up to 10°C – and that’s just ONE of the amazing benefits that trees bring to our community and environment.

We’ve read the research and consulted experts, and the verdict is in - Perth needs a Tree Canopy Target of 30% by 2040 if we want to retain and grow our tree canopy for future generations.

WATCA seeks to work collaboratively with the WA state government, local councils, the private sector and community to assist in the development of sensible, state legislation to regulate the removal of significant trees on public and private land.

We’re on a mission to create awareness, foster community engagement and drive legislative change, because once our precious urban trees are gone, it’s too late.

If we want to continue enjoying the amazing benefits of trees now and in the future, we need better protections to regulate their removal - before it’s too late.

We need your support to help our volunteer-run organisation advocate for change in Western Australia. Please consider donating to assist with the costs of running this advocacy initiative, including our website, events and liaising with local and State Government bodies and representatives to drive change.