Up to 200,000 new trees needed in Melbourne to avoid affecting quality of life, research finds

Victoria Street in Richmond. The Yimby report says that to maintain the inner city’s current canopy, 55 new trees would be needed for every 100 new homes, at a cost of $1,680 a dwelling. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Up to 200,000 trees will be needed across inner Melbourne to prevent a widespread loss of canopy – and associated impacts to quality of life – from the planned construction of 800,000 new homes, research suggests.

A new report by the housing advocacy group Yimby Melbourne, released on Wednesday, estimates 24.3 hectares (60 acres) of residential tree canopy cover – the equivalent of six cricket ovals – could be lost each year as a result of densification across the 19 local government areas (LGAs) that make up inner Melbourne.