WATCA - WA Tree Canopy Advocates

WATCA - WA Tree Canopy Advocates 🌳Fighting to protect WA’s urban trees
💪Changing the rules behind tree loss
😊Not-for-profit, volunteer-led
😎30+ local Facebook groups - join yours

💩We used to leave dog poo on the footpath. Throw rubbish out car windows. Leave our sprinklers on. Used to be OK. Now i...
29/08/2026

💩We used to leave dog poo on the footpath. Throw rubbish out car windows. Leave our sprinklers on.

Used to be OK. Now it's not.

So why is it OK to cut down mature trees because they drop leaves, block a view, get in the way or simply because we can? 🪓

🌳It's time we grew out of that too.

What else used to be “normal” that isn’t anymore?

🌳Last night Town of Claremont became the 12th Perth council to protect trees on private land. Each council has consulte...
26/08/2026

🌳Last night Town of Claremont became the 12th Perth council to protect trees on private land. Each council has consulted its community and each time the answer is YES. Is your council on the list? If not, ask them why. Spread the word. We’re here to help. 💚💪🌳

24/08/2026

WA has the lowest tree canopy in Australia. Time to protect our mature trees. Statewide.🌳

Why is WA full of Canopy Cranks?🪓Perth has the worst tree canopy in Australia, but we’re considering chopping a healthy ...
21/08/2026

Why is WA full of Canopy Cranks?🪓Perth has the worst tree canopy in Australia, but we’re considering chopping a healthy 9m verge tree because somebody 50m away is annoyed by its leaves?! Trees drop leaves.🍃 People own rakes. Stop the madness! 🌳🌳

🌳More than one third of Perth metro councils are now protecting trees. Is YOUR neighbourhood protected by a local tree ...
10/08/2026

🌳More than one third of Perth metro councils are now protecting trees. Is YOUR neighbourhood protected by a local tree policy?

They planted them.🌱Then dug them up.🪏Yes, really. In the city with the lowest tree canopy in Australia.🥵Why were 7 young...
06/08/2026

They planted them.🌱Then dug them up.🪏

Yes, really. In the city with the lowest tree canopy in Australia.🥵

Why were 7 young Norfolk Island pines planted and then removed from Marine Parade?

👀Because some nearby residents objected, saying the trees would block their views. Meet the self-appointed Custodians of the View.

🌊Marine Parade is one of WA's most beloved public spaces. Thousands of people walk, swim, cycle, picnic and enjoy it every week. If there's anywhere we should be planting more trees to provide shade and reduce heat, surely it's here.🌲

⚠️Town of Cottesloe is now is asking everyone what they think (great idea Cott😊).

🌲If you support more trees on Marine Parade, please do the quick survey.

👉 Survey link in comments.

31/07/2026

📣Q: Why are some of WA's most signiticant trees still relying on community campaigns to survive?
🪓A: Because WA's planning system still doesn't recognise the value of mature trees.

🌳Stuart the Tuart is a magnificent 200+ year old tuart in Claremont currently being assessed by the National Trust WA for inclusion on its Register of Significant Trees.
🌳The Old Auction Tree in Guildford is a 200+ year old flooded gum already listed by the National Trust WA. It is believed to have been an important Noongar gathering tree and has strong historical associations with Guildford's historic sale yards.

‼️Both are under threat. Neither is protected by a Local Planning Policy.

Recent SAT decisions have confirmed that the removal of a significant mature tree (like these) can constitute development requiring planning approval. Yet too many councils still have no planning framework to identify and protect significant trees before they come under threat.

⚠️Protecting mature trees shouldn't depend on community campaigns.
It's time our planning laws recognised their value and mandated meaningful tree protections across WA.

29/07/2026

🍃🐦We've all heard the complaints about leaves and bird poo... but here's what the science says.

A new 12yr Australian study led by UNSW Sydney, with Hong Kong and Leipzig Universities, found that older Australians living in neighbourhoods with greater tree canopy experienced fewer symptoms of depression.😊

The researchers compared tree canopy, parkland, blue space, the built environment and air pollution. Tree canopy was the strongest environmental factor associated with better mental health.🌳

Trees don't just make our suburbs look nicer. Research shows they're linked to better physical and mental health.💚

Tag your favourite Canopy Crank👴

Source: Reppermund et al. (2026). Journal of Affective Disorders. 12-year Australian study of 1,031 older adults led by UNSW Sydney.

🪓🌳THIS IS WHY WE NEED TREE POLICIES. If this ancient Tuart was on the other side of that fence, it would be protected by...
25/07/2026

🪓🌳THIS IS WHY WE NEED TREE POLICIES.
If this ancient Tuart was on the other side of that fence, it would be protected by Nedlands’ Local Planning Policy for Tree Retention. Instead, it’s in Claremont, which has delayed adopting the same policy for nine months, despite overwhelming community support. The property just changed hands and we understand the new owners live overseas. The previous owners cared for the tree for 23 years.💚(Rest of article in comments).

😤Spend 5m in the comments on any post about protecting trees and you'll see…outrage! 🤬 But all that noise misses the REA...
22/07/2026

😤Spend 5m in the comments on any post about protecting trees and you'll see…outrage! 🤬 But all that noise misses the REALLY important question: what kind of place are we creating for ourselves and our kids?🌱 The state govt wants us to believe it's a choice between homes and trees. IT ISN’T. Cities around the world are proving we can have both
🏡We need more homes.
🌳We need more tree canopy.
✅Good planning should deliver both.

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Perth
Perth, WA

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+61401376085

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