Unsafe Sugar Gum Trees Along Railway Street To Be Removed

Thursday, 17 Oct 2024

Griffith City Council advises that 27 Sugar Gum trees along Railway Street will be removed following an independent arborist’s report, which determined that the trees pose a risk to public safety.

The removal process is scheduled to begin in about four weeks and will take approximately three weeks to complete. The work will be conducted in stages, with barrier mesh and spotters in place to minimise disruption and limit the impact to motorists, pedestrians, and nearby businesses.

Once the trees have been removed, preparations will be made for replanting a suitable variety of trees, which will occur in May 2025.

The Sugar Gums were pollarded (removal of the upper branches), around 30 years ago and over time have now become susceptible to disease and decay resulting in structural issues and sudden branch drops.

Council’s General Manager, Brett Stonestreet, emphasised that public safety is the primary reason behind the decision.

"The independent assessment by the arborist highlighted the danger these trees pose, particularly in an area with heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic," Mr Stonestreet said.

"We cannot afford to delay, there have already been multiple instances of falling limbs damaging vehicles. We want to act before a serious injury occurs.

“We understand that there will be some members of the public who won’t want to see these trees removed, but this is a matter of public safety and we have to put that first."

The removed trees, 14 located behind Memorial Park and 13 opposite CWA Park, will be replaced with semi-advanced species under irrigation, ensuring a safer and greener future for the area.
 

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