Treebate reopens on Monday, August 3rd, with 10,000 more rebates of up to $150.00 for Western Australians who buy a native tree and plant it on their property. The terms have loosened in year two: anyone who claimed in the first round can claim again, and the $150.00 can now be spread across up to five trees rather than spent on one.
“More than 10,000 Western Australians took part in the Treebate program’s first year, helping to increase tree canopy, support local biodiversity and create more liveable suburbs,” Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said.
“We’ve listened to community feedback and expanded the program so residents can now claim a rebate of $150.00 for the purchase and planting of up to five native trees.”
The first year of the $6.9 million program cleared its 10,000-tree target, with more than 10,000 Western Australians claiming a rebate.
Perth’s canopy problem
Perth has the smallest tree canopy of any Australian capital city, and the Cook Government’s Urban Greening Strategy commits to lifting cover across Perth and Peel to 30% by 2040. Year two of Treebate is aimed at the suburbs sitting furthest from that mark.
“This round, we want to focus on Western Australia’s outer suburbs, which have typically had a lower percentage of urban canopy than the inner suburbs,” Swinbourn said.
Reaching 30% means planting faster than Perth loses trees, and the losses have been steep. The polyphagous shot-hole borer has forced removals across the metropolitan area since it was detected in East Fremantle in 2021, including at Hyde Park, and in June 2025 the national management group overseeing the response accepted the beetle could no longer be eradicated, shifting the work to slowing its spread.
How to claim a Treebate
The rebate matches what you spend, up to $150.00, and the tree has to be a native with a canopy that reaches at least three metres at maturity. Claims need a tax invoice and a photo of the plant label showing the scientific or common name. The ServiceWA app is the quickest and easiest way to claim the rebate, with a paper form also available for anyone who can’t, or doesn’t want to, use the app. Postal claims can take up to 30 days and require 100 points of identification. Claims close once the annual allocation of 10,000 has been reached.
