Keep it Green

In real estate parlance, the word ‘leafy’ evokes inner-city suburbs with established trees and character houses. Yet leafiness is so much more than an aesthetic quality. Urban trees improve air quality, capture carbon, provide shelter for wildlife and offer welcome shade in built-up areas. Sadly though, as these suburbs become desirable and promise better returns for investors, it can be a challenge to retain the lush tree canopy that makes them so appealing in the first place.

Bayswater, just east of Perth’s central business district, is one such example. With its proximity to the city and mix of relatively affordable homes on large blocks, it has been gentrified in recent years, with the wine bars and cafés followed swiftly by project home builders and property