By Callum Ludwig
With a number of Warburton residents taking significant measures to protect the large Mountain Grey Gum, Yarra Ranges Council has released more information regarding their decision to remove it.
Yarra Ranges Council is urging residents who are parked under the tree or taking refuge in it to remove themselves from the tree and away from the security fencing due to the significant risk of the tree falling.
Residents have been frustrated by the lack of communication and engagement regarding the decision, with Yarra Ranges Council acknowledging in a statement that “this work has not been managed well, and for this we are sorry,” it reads
‘We appreciate the community has not had time to process this news nor understand more about the tree’s condition.”
Discussions with community members who contacted Yarra Ranges Council regarding the decision have been organised and a protest was submitted a the Tuesday 28 March Council meeting.
Warburton resident Ravenna Keller spoke at the meeting on behalf of lead petitioner Teresa Springall and said they are shocked at the suddenness and finality of the move to remove one of the few old-growth trees left in Warburton without community engagement.
“Anybody can observe masses of birds utilising it, some nesting in it and my son has found large tree frogs in it at different times but it is unknown the extent of the habitat protection that it provides for wildlife,” she said.
“We ask for time, we ask for further reports. I have spoken to an arborist from the Royal Botanic Gardens who says that there are a lot of options available which deserve to be explored first, and the Council’s own tree policy says all available alternatives will be explored to retain trees and avoid and minimise unnecessary tree removal.”
Council’s statement has also clarified that an initial report was undertaken in November 2022, and then went and sought a second opinion, which brought about the January 2023 report where a sonic tomograph was taken to further examine the structural decay of the tree. A sonic tomograph uses sound waves and a number of sensors placed around the trunk to map the decay within the tree in a diagram.
The tomograph showed that the decay within the tree had increased to the point where pruning experts said retaining the tree was no longer a safe option, despite initial hopes.
Since initial decay was first found in a 2016 arborist report, Council tried to preserve and extend its life with regular arborist reports, dynamic cabling, bracing and pruning. More recently, alternatives to removing the whole tree were considered, which included reducing the tree to bring the canopy’s height down while retaining some of the branches and leaves, but that was unfeasible due to the large crack in the base of the tree.
Lopping the tree down to a manageable height was also considered, but that posed a further risk of quick regrowth which is unstable and also results in instability and risk of falling branches.
Council’s plans remain to undertake urgent make-safe pruning works to remove part of the tree so that more options available can be considered while the risk is reduced.
Before Council chops down trees like the Mountain Grey Gum, a zoologist is called to attend to the tree and check for any nests or signs of wildlife, with any animals found safely removed in a dark, warm bag and released into the wild at night.
The tree has a significant and important place in the hearts of the community but does not have formal indigenous or cultural heritage, and is not on the list of heritage trees in the Yarra Ranges.
If removal goes ahead, the wood from the tree would be protected as much as possible, with the hope it can be made available to the community for use in art, furniture and other creative projects with Treasuring Our Trees already showing an interest in taking on the repurposing the tree for the local community.
Any seeds found from the tree would also be collected for replanting in the area as well as other options considered regarding honouring the importance of this tree at the site.
There is no mention of plans within the Warburton Urban Design Framework, drafted in 2020, which indicate that the removal of the tree was planned to make space for more car parks. The tree features prominently in a photo of Ottrey’s Car Park within the full draft framework.
