Tree removal in Newtown

Marrickville Council intends to remove a Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) opposite 15 Derby Street Newtown.  They give the following reasons for removal –

• Major stem wound with associated fruiting bodies of decay causing fungal pathogen indicating significant internal decay.
• Tree presents an unacceptable safe life expectancy.
• Tree is unsuitable & unsustainable in its location.

Two tea cup sized bracket fungus on this Sydney Blue Gum

Council say they will replace with a Cabbage Tree palm (Livistonia australis), but don’t say when they will do this.

Here is another great example of bracket fungus. The tree is also leaning at an angle & lifting the footpath.

While it is great that Council will be replacing this street tree, I find it interesting that such a small street with a token footpath on the side of the street where the Eucalypt is to be removed has & will continue to have so many street trees when there are so many streets across the LGA where there are few trees even though there is tons of room for them.

The Cabbage Tree palm which will be the replacement tree is an Australian native growing mostly on the east coast.  It grows to about 25-metres in height & about 0.35 metres in diameter. Its leaves look like a fan & in summer it produces spikes that are filled with creamy-white flowers. It will be a nice addition to Derby Street.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 12th August 2011. I will not be putting in a submission.

Showing the Sydney Blue Gum to be removed in Derby Street Newtown

Tree up for removal Marrickville South

Marrickville Council has given notice of intention to remove a Swamp Mahogany  (Eucalyptus robusta) at the Thornley Street entrance of Steele Park Marrickville South.  Council gives the following reasons for removal –

• Major stem wound with associated fruiting bodies of decay causing fungal pathogen.
• Diagnostic tests indicate significant internal decay.
• The likelihood of whole tree failure presents an unacceptable hazard to the public.

Bracket fungus on the Steele Park tree

The tree has 3 really good examples of bracket fungus.  It also has quite an extensive area of decay in the trunk visible to the naked eye.  It’s a shame as this tree is very tall & its loss will have an impact on the park & streetscape.

Council says they will replace this tree with a Forest Red Gum (eucalyptus tereticornis), but don’t say when they will do this.

The Forest Red Gum is native to eastern Australia. Wikipedia lists its other common names – “Bastard Box, Blue Gum, Flooded Gum, Grey Gum, Mountain Gum, Forest Red Gum, Queensland Blue Gum, Red Gum, Red Ironbark, Red Iron Gum & Slaty Gum.”

The Forest Red Gum is a fabulous tree for a park because it can reach a height of between 20-50 metres. It flowers from June to October every 2-3 years.  The flowers & nectar are a source of food for urban wildlife such as birds, flying foxes & koalas (not that we have any in Steele Park).  Bees also like the flowers.

The deadline for any submissions is Sunday 31st July 2011.  I will not be putting in a submission.

We will be losing a very tall tree

Tree removal for Stanmore

Marrickville Council intends to remove a Wallangarra White Gum (Eucalyptus scoparia) from outside 39 Bruce Street, Stanmore. They give the following reasons for removal -

• “Major stem wound with associated fungal fruiting bodies indicating the significant presence of a decay causing fungal organism.
• The tree presents an unacceptable level of risk of damage to property & the public.”

Showing the tree up for removal

Council say they will replace the tree with a Rough-barked Apple (Angophora floribunda), but don’t say when they will do this.

This mature tree leans on a slant towards the road & has signs of injury, probably caused by a vehicle. The bark has been stripped & the tree gouged.  There appears to be multiple boring insect holes at the 2 injury sites.  On the footpath side of the tree, there are 2 groups of bracket fungus.  Decay is visible.

I thank Council for using sticky tape to put up the Notification of Removal notices & for changing the way tree removals are notified.  Until this tree, one always had to open a pdf link. Now Council is simply putting the information directly on the webpage.  This is very helpful. Thank you.

I will not be putting in a submission regarding this tree.  The deadline for submissions is Friday 15th July 2011.  Submissions can be sent to Marrickville Council at – council@marrickville.nsw.gov.au

I wrote about bracket fungus here – http://savingourtrees.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/bracket-fungus/

One of the two groups of bracket fungi on the tree. A hole from a boring insect is also visible

Bracket fungus

A bracket fungus is a fruiting body that sticks out from the trunk of a tree like a shelf. They can be many colours & some look very beautiful.  Unfortunately, there is nothing you can treat a tree with once it has bracket fungus & the chances of structural failure becomes more likely as time goes by.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens website says –

“The heartwood is dead wood, with the living tissue confined to a relatively thin skin under the bark. As long as the fungus is not harming that living skin the tree can go on living quite happily. In fact, there are numerous old, healthy, hollowed-out trees in existence. Moreover, an empty cylinder (such as a hollowed trunk) can resist some stresses better than a solid cylinder (such as a solid trunk). If you’re a possum or a parrot, then you’d probably look very favourably on that fungus because it is helping to create potential  nesting hollows.”  http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/what-is-fungus.html

A street or park tree with this fungus can still continue to live for many years, but there is a risk that it will fall.  An Arborist said to me, “Bracket fungus usually means that there is decaying wood. Near a home or building, utility line, place where people function – it should go.” 

I found this bracket fungus a while ago. Unfortunately I didn’t photograph it before someone tried to remove it. It is about 18cms (7 inches) across & stuck out from the tree at least the same distance. It looked like a half plate wedged into the trunk. Now about 3 chunks have been snapped off exposing the inside of the fungus. The outside is hard & dry to touch. The exposed underside is slightly moist & can be dented with a fingernail.