Since the endorsement of both our Urban Forest Strategy (UFS) and Integrated Water Management Strategy (IWMS) we have been implementing the action plans and in November provided an update to Council on the progress to date.
The Whitehorse Urban Forest Strategy 2021-2031 (UFS) was endorsed in September 2021 and includes five objectives to support, protect, enhance, and grow our urban forest. The Whitehorse Integrated Water Management Strategy 2022-2042 (IWMS) was endorsed in September 2022, with the outcomes of all water is valued as a resource, healthy landscapes and waterways, and reduced flood risk.
In November, a report was prepared by officers providing an update to Council on the implementation progress of the actions from the UFS and in addition included the IWMS. Future progress reports on both strategies will be presented to Council on an annual basis.
The progress report presented a status update including:
- UFS snapshot on the canopy cover target
- High level summary of results to date
- Highlights of completed actions
- Summary of issues encountered in implementation of the actions.
Some of the highlights and completed actions in both strategies included:
- Actions updating Council’s tree inventory to support inspections, manage risk and maintain the ongoing health of these trees.
- Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) – Urban Greening and Water Efficiency actions were completed relating to implementation of the ESD policy for Council Buildings and Infrastructure.
- Actions supporting management and maintenance of IWM assets.
If you would like to read the progress report in more detail please see the link to the relevant Council meeting Minutes of Council Meeting - Monday 10 November 2025
A summary of the actions for both the UFS and IWMS are represented in the status indicators which are in the progress report or can be accessed below.