New Urban Forest Strategy charts greener future for Albury
AlburyCity Councillors have adopted a new Urban Forest Strategy (UFS), to guide tree planting and canopy cover as the city responds to climate change and ongoing urban growth, at last night’s meeting.
The strategy sets a target of 30 per cent urban tree canopy cover across Albury by 2050. 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 over the next decade.
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.
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack said investing in a healthy urban forest delivers long-term social, environmental and economic benefits.
“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 per cent of Albury’s land privately owned, 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 per cent 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.