Council’s decision last night showed it is taking a thorough approach to replanting and tree management in the aftermath of Cyclone Marcus.
Council voted to support an expert panel to guide the selection of suitable tree species and planting requirements post Cyclone Marcus.
Council agreed to fund a $160,000 survey of trees planted in close proximity to property and power lines. The survey will include the remaining trees on Council land that have the potential to impact private property in the future.
Council also supported a proposal for the larger trunks of fallen trees to be made available to the community for reuse and re purposing. When the Cyclone Recovery is completed Council will call for expressions of interest for parties to collect and reuse salvaged timber.
“There have been a range of interesting suggestions from the community about reusing some of the uprooted trees and Council will store some trees for future use”, said Acting Lord Mayor Gary Haslett.
Immediately after the cyclone Council called for a report on a range of issues around trees in the Municipality. An ‘update report’ was discussed at the City Operations Committee meeting last week. It required Council decisions on several aspects of the Recovery phase as we move forward.
Data on the species of trees that were uprooted or damaged in the cyclone has now been collected and will be analysed and presented to Council in the near future.
“While early indications are that the African Mahoganies, River Red Gums and Yellow Flame Trees make up the predominant species of trees impacted by the cyclone, we acknowledge that this is not the whole story. We’ll be able to have a better picture once the analysis is complete and presented to Council,” said the Acting Lord Mayor.
“It is important we collaborate with experts to make sure that the most suitable species of trees are selected for a city with high rainfall and cyclonic conditions,” added the Acting Lord Mayor.
The panel of experts will include peak body organisations with a selection process for interested community members.
The panel will make recommendations to Council and the broader community on what tree species to replant, where to plant, and how to properly care for the trees to re-establish a resilient tree population.