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Hamilton City Council Why are we developing a Tree Policy

Posted in Regional; Tagged Parks and recreation, Accessibility; Posted 9 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Hamilton City Council
Date: June 2025

 

Purpose

This submission aims to provide feedback to the Hamilton City Council on its proposed Draft Tree Policy 2025. DPA's objective is to ensure the policy incorporates principles that prevent trees from creating accessibility and safety issues for disabled pedestrians and cyclists, while also ensuring they provide necessary shade. The submission also calls for disabled people to be involved in all future planning and consultation around tree planting projects.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA welcomes the opportunity to give feedback to the Hamilton City Council on its proposed Tree Policy, incorporating feedback from their Hamilton City area members. DPA acknowledges the multiple benefits of trees from ecological (carbon capture, flood prevention), practical (shade, shelter), and aesthetic (improving mental wellbeing) points of view.

While commending the proposed tree policy, DPA outlines several additional principles that should guide it from a disability perspective. Firstly, there is a need for good tree management to prevent tree trunks protruding into pedestrian areas, including footpaths and cycleways, as this can impede access for disabled pedestrians and cyclists and create safety issues.

Secondly, the policy should consider planting trees with appropriate foliage as trees that generate too much leaf litter make accessibility harder due to higher leaf fall onto footpaths and roads. Thirdly, trees need to provide good shade in spring/summer and sufficient shelter in autumn/winter, because some disabled people have difficulty with temperature regulation, making sufficient shade outdoors essential during summer.

DPA expresses pleasure that the plan specifically acknowledges the need for council to continually monitor tree risks. However, DPA also requests more publicity around what people can or should do to report unsafe trees as part of the policy. Finally, DPA stresses the need to involve disabled people as part of all future community consultation on tree planting plans, given the outlined accessibility issues.

 

Key Recommendation/Finding:

The policy needs good tree management to prevent tree trunks protruding into pedestrian areas, including footpaths and cycleways.

 

Supporting Statement 1:

Protruding tree trunks and roots can impede access for disabled pedestrians and cyclists.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

This issue can also create significant safety concerns for disabled people who rely on clear pathways for mobility.

 

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DPA Submission 2506 Hamilton City Council Why are we developing a Tree Policy (DOCX)

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