By Callum Ludwig
A Yarra Junction resident has called on Yarra Ranges Council to remove trees on their Milners Rd property.
Tabled at the Yarra Ranges Council’s Tuesday 12 July meeting, the residents have concerns about four trees on the property that have caused previous damage and pose a risk to their infant child. The resident was unable to present at the meeting as planned.
Mayor Jim Child tabled an alternate motion to remove the trees and said the resident approached him in regards to a number of issues at their property.
“In particular tree four, where limbs have been falling off this tree over a period of time, resulting in damage to the house, caused by tree branches hitting the leading wire for the electricity supply,” he said.
“The concern of the resident which got my attention is that a young infant plays in that front portion of the yard and this matter is a danger to anyone that is on the property should this happen again.
Three options are being considered to deal with the request: remove all the trees, heavily prune the trees or retain the trees at this time.
The meeting agenda considered that removing all the trees has the advantage that all risks would be removed and would meet the resident’s wishes, but there would be a loss of environmental and amenity value, would take many years to replace the trees and may also lead to requests for the removal of other trees in the area due to previous requests from residents.
Mr Child said looking at the report, the leading wire actually goes through the branches of tree four.
“Over the period of time, it hasn’t been cleared and we continue to have concerns there, tree three is the other point of concern, where the photograph shows it actually leans in over the property over what I assume is a conifer,” he said.
“Councillors you are probably aware I get fairly serious about these tree issues and I have a cleared conscience when I have presented these issues to you here in Council.”
Heavily pruning the trees is considered to be an option to manage the risk in the short term but would leave the mature trees exposed to new wind forces and may increase the
risk of falling branches as well as potentially killing the trees or causing prolific regrowth, which would have to be managed for the rest of the tree’s lives.
Retaining the trees would follow the Tree Management Team’s usual process when the trees have been assessed as low risk, but leaves the risk of falling branches a concern and is contrary to the resident’s wishes.
Councillor Richard Higgins seconded the motion and said he’s very much like Mr Child in that he too cannot in all honesty that those trees remain while presenting a danger.
“Once it takes the form of a risk to children, I must stand to support the alternate motion.”
The trees were evaluated by Yarra Ranges Council’s Tree Management team, who determined them to be of low risk as well as a qualified arborist who recommended that they remain and did not identify or recommend any other works.
Councillor Len Cox opposed the motion and said he is speaking against the recommendation because Yarra Ranges Council’s tree crew deemed the trees of very low risk.
“They work with trees all the time and deemed them of very low risk, as did the arborist who said the same thing,” he said.
“I don’t believe that I am in the position to overrule the opinion of experts and for that reason I can’t support this motion.”
The arborist’s report found that:
Tree 1 has a strong lean over the driveway; however, is well sheltered and failure is
unlikely.
Tree 2 has been pruned and has a full canopy, none of the branches appear likely to fail.
Tree 3 leans over the private property boundary a couple of metres but does not
overshadow the house.
Tree 4 is large and has had several large failures. None of the branches at this stage
appear likely to fail.
The approximate $4500 cost would be met through the Tree Management Team’s operational budget and if the trees are retained, any ongoing maintenance costs would also be covered by the Tree Management Team’s operational budget.
