Albury City Councillors have adopted a new Urban Forest Strategy (UFS), to guide tree planting and canopy cover over the next decade.
The strategy sets a target of 30% urban tree canopy cover across Albury by 2050. The Council says that achieving this will require a substantial increase in planting efforts, lifting annual plantings from around 2,000 trees to more than 6,000 per year.
The UFS provides a long-term framework to guide Albury towards becoming a city shaped by an expanding and diverse urban forest, delivering cooler streets, improved liveability, stronger community connections and enhanced environmental outcomes, said Mayor, Kevin Mack.
“Trees are among the most valuable assets in our city. They reduce heat, improve health outcomes, support biodiversity and help protect our environment,” Mayor Mack said.
“A well-planned urban forest also delivers economic benefits, including lower energy costs and more attractive neighbourhoods that people want to live, visit and invest in.”
The strategy has been shaped by extensive community engagement over several years. Following Council’s resolution in September 2025, the draft UFS was placed on public exhibition and attracted 31 submissions.Of these, 21 submissions explicitly supported the strategy. The remaining 10 provided general feedback, with no submissions expressing opposition to the strategy’s proposed actions or canopy targets.
The Urban Forest Strategy outlines five strategic goals supported by 29 targeted actions, along with a Street Tree Master Plan and Planting Palette to guide species selection and planting design. It identifies priority areas for canopy improvement and establishes a coordinated framework for action across both public and private land.
With 61% of Albury’s land privately owned, the Council says community participation will be essential to achieving the 2050 canopy target.
Following endorsement, Council will establish an Implementation Working Group (IWG), including a community representative. Its first task will be to develop a detailed Cost Analysis Plan (CAP) for Council consideration, identifying cost-effective options to expand Albury’s urban forest and deliver the 30% canopy target.
An annual public tree status report will be produced, supported by a comprehensive review of the strategy every five years.The Urban Forest Strategy is a key component of Council’s Two Cities One Community Regional Nature Environment Strategy.
The Urban Forest Strategy will be able to be viewed on the AlburyCity website shortly.
