Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing method that emits pulsed laser light to measure distances to the earth's surface, capturing millions of data points to create detailed 3D models of the surface.  

Lidar is widely regarded as one of the most accurate ways to measure vegetation height and structure. Unlike aerial photos or satellite imagery, lidar laser pulses can penetrate gaps in the canopy to measure both the ground and the tops of trees, allowing accurate calculation of canopy height, density, and structure.

Lidar can provide repeatable and consistent measurements over time, making it ideal for monitoring change.

In 2023, Council commissioned the acquisition, processing, and classification of new lidar along with high-resolution aerial photography in both colour and near-infrared. This project produced a lidar point cloud with improved vegetation classification accuracy across the entire municipal area.  

In 2024, Council invested in a project to improve the vegetation classification in our existing 2018 lidar data so it could be meaningfully compared with the 2023 lidar data to assess canopy change over time.    

The lidar data was used to generate two types of models: a Digital Terrain Model showing the bare ground, and a Digital Surface Model showing the tops of all features, including trees and buildings.  

Canopy Height Models were produced to represent the height of vegetation above the ground. They were created by isolating vegetation areas in the surface model and subtracting the ground height from the vegetation height. For Council’s Urban Forest Strategy, canopy cover targets are based on trees taller than 3 metres, which is the minimum height applied in the model.  

By comparing the 2018 and 2023 Canopy Height Models, we can identify where tree canopy has increased or decreased. To visualise these changes, the data is aggregated into 1-hectare hexagons, making it easier to observe trends and patterns at the neighbourhood level across the municipality.  

Across the City of Whitehorse area of 6423.70 hectares:  

• The 2018 lidar generated a canopy area of 1388.86 hectares representing a 21.6% coverage.
• The 2023 lidar generated a canopy area of 1657.64 hectares representing a 25.8% coverage.

This is a 4.2% increase in canopy cover across the municipality.  Canopy increased in all 17 suburbs in the City of Whitehorse. 

For further information view the Canopy Areas and Percentage Cover per Suburb ( PDF 66.79KB) and Data Report - Tree Canopy Cover ( PDF 1.11MB)

The Cooling and Greening Melbourne project was a collaboration between RMIT University, The University of Western Australia, CSIRO and the Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) as part of the 'Cooling and Greening Melbourne' work for Plan Melbourne 2017-2050.  

The project analysed vegetation change across metropolitan Melbourne between 2014 and 2018 using a combination of multispectral imagery and lidar datasets. Due to differences in the source data and methodology, councils are unable to report on canopy cover change as a direct continuation of the Cooling and Greening Melbourne project.  

By using a repeatable lidar method, Council can accurately and reliably track changes in tree canopy, supporting the monitoring of canopy cover targets and providing valuable insights for future urban forest planning initiatives.

Council endorsed the Whitehorse Urban Forest Strategy in September 2021, with five key objectives to support, protect, enhance, and grow our urban forest.  

We acquired tree management software to support and manage the tree population and to assist with further identifying planting gaps in low canopy areas.

Since 2021/2022 Council has planted 16,391 trees on public land, in our streets and parks. This includes trees planted as part of community planting events such as National Tree Day, Council's capital works and street tree planting program.  

Council continues to advocate to permanently keep Significant Landscape Overlay 9 (SLO9), following its extension by the Victorian Government to Tuesday 16 June 2026. View more information on SL09.