Tree Surveys/Audits

As public awareness of environmental sustainability grows, so does the expectation that we manage our urban vegetation more responsibly. Whether it’s in parks, along streets, within biodiversity corridors, or in private gardens, the need for thoughtful planning around tree retention is more important than ever.

Integrating tree retention into commercial development is now a critical part of good urban planning. Equally important is the ongoing care and management of existing green assets—like street trees, park trees, and remnant vegetation.

Effective management starts with knowing what you’re working with. For trees, that means building a detailed inventory. Without accurate data on the location, species, condition, and growing environment of urban trees, it’s impossible to manage them effectively, assign value, or assess the ecosystem services they provide. An up-to-date inventory is also essential for developing meaningful policies, long-term strategies, and practical day-to-day management plans.

Importantly, an urban tree inventory should reflect the values and aspirations of the community. Understanding what residents want from their green spaces—shade, beauty, biodiversity, cultural connection, or climate resilience—helps guide the kinds of data that should be collected and how that data is applied.

Maintaining a tree inventory brings a wide range of benefits, including:

    •    Better-informed planning and budgeting

    •    Targeted maintenance and risk management

    •    Improved species diversity

    •    More accurate forecasting of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and stormwater reduction

    •    Strategic decision-making grounded in data

Increasingly, councils and organisations are using inventory data not only for asset management but also for quantifying and valuing the ecosystem services trees provide. These include mitigating the urban heat island effect, improving biodiversity, capturing pollutants, and absorbing CO₂.

An inventory doesn’t need to be overly complex. In fact, a streamlined dataset that captures essential variables—like species, condition, DBH, canopy spread, and location—can often provide all the information needed to support smart decision-making.  The scope of the inventory can be tailored to suit the community size, available budget, and the specific management objectives.

What you choose to measure depends on why you’re undertaking the inventory in the first place. That’s where Arbortecture comes in. With practical experience in both field surveys and strategic planning, we can help you identify which tree attributes to collect, and how best to structure and implement a meaningful, useful inventory system.

Ongoing monitoring adds further value, enabling you to track changes in tree population composition, structure, and health over time. This long-term perspective supports adaptive management and evidence-based policy development.

Field-based surveys at the individual tree level remain the most accurate and reliable way to collect data, especially when ecological services are a key concern.

Our consultants have vast experience in the undertaking of large-scale tree audits throughout Melbourne and Sydney regions. No matter the size of your project, our team are capable and ready to assist.