Public tree removal in Stanmore

Brittle gum to be removed. The canopy of the tree behind makes this tree look fuller and healthier than it is. 

Inner West Council – Marrickville has given notice dated 10 January 2018 that they intend to remove two street trees.

Tree number 1:  A Brittle gum (Eucalyptus mannifera) outside 41 Stafford Street Stanmore.

They give the following reasons –

• “Tree is in decline with significant decay and deadwood which cannot be mitigated by pruning.
• The tree in its current state presents an unacceptable risk to the public and property.”

Council says they will replace with a Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma), but not when they will do this.

Tree number 2:  A Brittle Gum (Eucalyptus mannifera) adjacent to 50 Railway Avenue Stanmore.

They give the following reasons –

• “Tree is in decline with significant decay and deadwood which cannot be mitigated by pruning.
• The tree in its current state presents an unacceptable risk to the public and property.”

Council says they will replace this with two Scribbly Gum trees (Eucalyptus haemastoma), but not when they will do this.

It’s good that two trees are being replaced for one tree removed & also good that these are big tall Australian native trees that will provide habitat & food for wildlife.  Stanmore is lucky with all their big trees & these trees will continue on with this theme.

A screenshot of the Brittle gums. I am fairly sure the tree closest to the edge of the caravan is the one that is to be removed.  I saw no signage.

Public tree vandalism in Stanmore

Tree number one – taller than a two-storey building. It used to look as lush as the tree behind it.

This is a fine example of tree vandalism on Liberty Street Stanmore.  Many thanks to the person who wrote & told me about it.

Two mature trees both dead.  I didn’t need to look hard to see the drill holes, which were plugged to keep the poison in & I presume to camouflage the holes.

There are four street trees along this block.  It goes – one dead tree, one living tree, one dead tree, one living tree.  Perhaps the vandal thought to confuse us or just had a natural sense of rhythm.  I don’t understand why anyone who would do this, except to say they are selfish.   The loss of these two trees will have a negative impact on the community.  This is a busy road & all the trees along here work hard to remove particulate matter & improve air quality.

I ask Inner West Council to replace them in the next planting season please.  If those trees get vandalized, plant again.

At some stage this council needs to consider CCTV in places where public trees are repeatedly vandalized.

Tree number two.

Poisoned and plugged

Greening the road corners

Screenshot of ‘Health impacts of air pollution – South East Coast Greater Melbourne 2016’ – see http://bit.ly/2tu86I0

First I noticed Sydney Council was reclaiming the road corners & creating verge gardens.  Now Inner West Council is also doing this & I think it is wonderful.

I have seen a few of these popping up around Stanmore, Dulwich Hill & Marrickville, though there may be others in suburbs that I have not seen.

Claiming back land to green it up will have many benefits for the community.  Plants & a street tree will obviously soften the landscape & add beauty.  As the tree grows it will create shade, which will lower the urban heat island effect.   If it is a native tree, it will provide food for urban wildlife, which should a priority in my mind.

Street trees trap particulate matter on their leaves, thereby improving air quality & lowering air pollution levels.

The resulting impact of air pollution on the health of people is starting to gain considerable traction amongst the scientific community.  Air pollution has a tonne of negative impacts such as higher incidence of respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis & emphysema.  Lung capacity & lung function also decreases.

There is an increased risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, as well as heart disease in all ages, including more fatal heart attacks.  Stroke is another high risk.

Air pollution is a threat to child health with lower birth weight & the increased the risk of infection & developmental delays.  Alzheimer’s disease & other dementias are the latest significant health issues found to be linked to air pollution.  The authorities cannot dismiss air pollution considering the incredible amount of suffering & the costs associated with helping people affected by air pollution.

The photos below shows Clarendon Road Stanmore.  The corner has extensive work creating a verge garden & a large garden on what was once road.  A street tree has also been planted.  If this is the way of the future for many of our wide roads & expansive corners, it will transform the streetscapes of the former Marrickville municipality.

I think it is great that Council has started to use these spaces to add green & trees.  They will not impact on driver sight, as clearly demonstrated in neighbouring suburbs that have many more street trees then we do.  Another added benefit is that corners given this treatment may slow drivers down.  They smaller distance pedestrians need to cover to cross the road should also improve safety.

It’s a win for wildlife & a win for the community.

Clarendon Road Stanmore has been transformed.  The opposite side has a small verge garden.

I am pleased to see Council using a variety of native plants. Once grown they could offer habitat for small insects and lizards.

Public tree removal in Stanmore

The Coral tree for removal is centre of this photo.

Inner West Council has given notice that they intend to remove a Coral tree (Erythrina × sykesii ) inside Weekley Park, adjacent to 89 Albany Road Stanmore.

Council gives the following reasons for removal –

• “Tree has poor vitality and significant canopy dieback.
• Major open wound to trunk with decay and loss of structural wood.
• The tree poses an unacceptable level of risk to the public and property.”

The Coral tree is thought to be a “hybrid of horticultural origin, that was probably developed in Australia or New Zealand.” http://bit.ly/2tsjgKC

It is regarded as a weed tree in NSW because they can regrow from a fallen branch, a twig or stem or even suckers.  Despite this, they can easily be managed in suburban areas as shown by Bayside Council who have classified a number of their old Coral trees as significant & protected.

The condition of this Coral tree in Weekley Park is as described by Council.   They say they will replace this tree with an Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) by September 2017.

While it is a shame to lose this big old Coral tree, I am pleased that it will be replaced with a native tree that puts on a great colour show & can grow to a significant size.  We need big trees.

Illawarra flame trees are native to coastal rainforests from central New South Wales to far north Queensland.  They are deciduous in winter & produce clusters of vivid red bell-shaped flowers over spring-summer, which provide food for nectar-eating birds, bees & butterflies.  Anytime an Illawarra Flame tree is added to the Inner West landscape is a win as far as I am concerned.

The deadline for submissions is this Friday 23^rd June 2017.

It appears that the bark was removed to inspect the tree. You can see that it is not in great shape.

Public tree removal in Stanmore

 

 

Sydney blue gum in Stafford Street Stanmore.  It looks like a sick tree with a poor canopy.  Unfortunately the canopy does not show well in this photo.  A tree behind makes it look fuller than it is.  

You can see the damage in the trunk of the Sydney blue gum.

Inner West Council has given notice that they intend to remove two public trees in Stanmore.

Tree number 1:  a Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) outside 13 Stafford Street Stanmore.

Council gives the follow reasons for removal –

• “Tree has previously had several major branch failures which have resulted in weakened structural integrity.
• The tree poses an unacceptable level of risk to the public and property.”

Council says they will replace with a Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) in the 2017 Street Tree Planting Program between May & September.

I agree this tree needs to go.   While I like Jacarandas, I think it is a shame to replace a big native tree species with an exotic.

The deadline for any submissions is Friday 3^rd March 2017.

Tree number 2: a Brittle Gum (Eucalyptus mannifera) outside 62 Percival Road Stanmore.

Council gives the follow reasons for removal –

• “Tree has poor vitality and significant canopy dieback
• Major open wound to trunk with decay and loss of structural wood.
• The tree poses an unacceptable level of risk to the public and property.”

Council says they will replace with a Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) during the 2017 Street Tree Planting Program between May & September.

I agree this tree needs to go & think it is good that Council is replacing a native with a native.

The deadline for any submissions is Friday 10^th March 2017.

Brittle gum in Percival Road.  Not much canopy left.

The trunk of the Brittle gum in Percival Road.

Public tree removal in Stanmore

Brittle gum tree to be removed in Durham Street Stanmore – it does lean towards the house.

Marrickville Council has given notice of their intention to remove two trees in Stanmore.

Tree number 1:  a Brittle gum (Eucalyptus mannifera) outside 21 Durham Street Stanmore.

They give the following reasons for removal –

• “Internal decay at base on tension side of lean, causing the tree to be structurally unsound.
• Identified by 2012 Street Tree Audit for removal.
• The tree poses an unacceptable level of risk to the public & property.”

Council says they will replace this tree with a Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma) by September this year.  This tree did not have a ‘Notification of Removal’ sign attached.

Tree number 2:  a Small-leafed Peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii) outside 48.

They give the following reasons for removal –

• “Tree has significant level of canopy dieback & deadwood & is in an advance state of decline.
• The tree presents an unacceptable risk to the public & property.”

Council says they will replace this tree with a Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus) by September this year.  This tree did not have a ‘Notification of Removal’ sign attached either.

The deadline for submissions for both trees is Friday 6^th May 2016.

Tree to be removed outside Percival Road Stanmore – the dieback is easy to see.

 

Greening a patch of Stanmore

My photo does not do this space justice. It feels good to be here. There is  a very large Brushbox & a line of Casuarinas that sound great when there is a breeze.  There were also lots of birds & the place feels cared for.

Recently I received an email telling me about what appears to be community planting along the bicycle route in Stanmore, so we took off on our bikes to have a look.

The route takes you off Crystal Street, down York Crescent, into a path along the railway line & then out into Gordon Crescent. Then you come into something rare in this municipality – a wide strip of grass lined with mature trees. The space is like a long pocket park.

It is here that someone has been busy planting a mix of shrubs along the roadside in-between the lovely stretch of trees & also along the cyclone fence that borders the railway line. Some vines have also been planted along the fence.

I always think it is great when I see planting done by the community. Verge gardens interest & often delight me. Most street planting adds beauty as far as I am concerned & shows care toward the environment.

This particular work has the potential to create a very nice pocket of green that could double up nicely as a place of respite.   It is intermittently noisy around here because of the planes & trains, but cars are few. There are many parks in Marrickville LGA that just as noisy.

Eventually the vines will screen off the railway line. I can well imagine sitting here reading in the shade of the trees if I lived close by.

So I thank whoever is working on this patch knowing that it can be a considerable cost to buy plants & then the effort required to look after them.  With all the development due to happen in Marrickville municipality, green spaces like this one will increase in importance.

As an extra because it in in the same location – it was sad to see the whipper-snipper damage around the base of this old and grand Queensland Brushbox tree. This tree is slowly being ringbarked. In my opinion, it should be surrounded by some mulch to protect it.

Trees for Marrickville municipality

New street trees along a great stretch of Newington Road Stanmore.

Another view of the newly planted street trees on Newington Road Stanmore.

This season of street tree planting was very visible during last weekend’s bicycle ride. There are lots of new trees planted all over the municipality & they look great. Hopefully the vandals will leave them alone.

Camperdown Memorial Rest Park has also benefited from this season’s tree planting with many new trees. This park, particularly the section the runs alongside Australia Street & between the wall of St Stephen’s Church, is looking great. There are lots of tall trees here providing good shade that was being enjoyed by many groups of people.

This used to be a park with not much accessible shade, so it is great to see this change. It clearly shows the impact of tree planting & how trees & shade can improve the usability of a park, plus add significant beauty.

I think this section in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park looks gorgeous. What is great is that even more trees have been planted in and near this area of trees.

People enjoying the shade in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.  There were many groups doing exactly this in other areas of shade.

The verge garden in Alma Avenue Stanmore

Around 40 metres of tiny verge has been planted with a range of plants. Many of them flower & many of them are easily propagated or grown from seed.

A number people have suggested I visit Alma Avenue in Stanmore to have a look at the verge gardens there.  I recently did & what I saw was a nice surprise.

Alma Avenue is one-way. There is no room for a footpath here, but despite the gardening limitations, a resident has created something quite beautiful – a burst of colour & richness in a tiny verge between the house & the kerb.

There are numerous examples of other places just like this all around the municipality & most are left untouched. They tend to be magnets for weeds & litter. Some are concreted.  Looking at the work done here I understood why so many people had spoken to me about this verge garden.

I thank whoever created this, as it brings much beauty to this street. Imagine if all spaces, big or small, were planted out – how nicer it would look.

Showing the variety of plants

Another section. Pity about the tagging.

Public tree removal in Stanmore

Mature Norfolk Island hibiscus to be removed.

These two trees one house down fr the tree to be removed have been recently pruned. They are also Norfolk Island hibiscus.

Marrickville Council has given notification of their intention to remove a Norfolk Island hibiscus (Lagunaria patersonia) outside 46 Bruce Street Stanmore.

They give the following reasons –

• “Internal decay.
• Active split in main trunk.
• The tree is heavily impacted by clearance pruning for powerlines.
• The tree in its present state poses an unacceptable level of risk to the public and property.”

There is a split in the trunk & visible decay. The canopy is full of epicormic growth as a result of pruning for the overhead power lines.   Two other Norfolk Island hibiscus street trees one house along have been severely pruned. I expect that these two will be removed in time. Norfolk Island hibiscus grows to 12-20 metres high, so is entirely an inappropriate choice for under power lines.

Council say they will replace this tree with a Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) in the current 2014 Street Tree Planting Program.

Mock orange (Murraya paniculata) is native to southern China, Taiwan, the Indian sub-continent, SE Asia & northern Australia. It is usually used as a hedge & grows to between 4-12 metres in height. Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) is very similar to the cultivated exotic form of mock orange (Murraya paniculata ‘Exotica’), which is regarded as an environmental weed in NSW & QLD & a potential environmental weed in the Sydney region. Professional nursery growers are using a ‘cutting grown selection,’ which produces little or no berries. The growth habit is more compact.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 11^th July 2014.  I will not be putting in a submission.

I have not seen a canopy that is mostly epicormic growth. The tree looks as though it was once topped.

The split & showing the finger depth holes