Tree risk report sheds light on Sunshine Coast Council’s management

Council has denied any issues after a report obtained in a Right to Information investigation revealed several areas of improvement in its tree risk management processes.

There was $300,000 in settled claims for tree-related and other issues against Sunshine Coast Council during 2021-22. Picture Lachie Millard

A report obtained through a Right to Information investigation has shed light on Sunshine Coast Council’s tree risk management processes.

The tree risk management report was tabled at a council Audit Committee meeting on January 23, 2023, where the council’s chief executive Emma Thomas expressed condolences on behalf of council in relation to the deaths of Joy Charlton and Jasmyne Lloyd.

Ms Charlton and Ms Lloyd were killed in a tragic incident when a tree fell on their vehicle on Old Gympie Rd in Glasshouse Mountains on New Year’s Eve 2022.

The report – released to the Sunshine Coast Daily through a Right to Information request – pre-dates the fatal incident and was completed in November, 2022.

A council spokesman said the planned audit was approved in May 2021, and denied the council had “any failures in its system of responding to tree requests”.

“Council’s processes and procedures regarding tree management were at all times effective in managing its obligations,” he said.

The report showed the council’s performance across 10 tree risk management principles was 67 per cent - with only one category meeting the target in the diagram displayed.

The spokesman said the targets represented “a perfect world”.

The report also states the overall assessment undertaken by internal audit showed “considerable compliance across the 10 major elements identified in both the risk self-assessment and tree risk management guidelines”.

But the report also noted there were areas for improvement that should be “worked through in collaboration with the Insurance and Risk Team”.

The comparison of compliance with tree risk management principles.

The report reveals that while trees in playgrounds and streets were part of an annual playground inspection program, 90 playgrounds had not been inspected by the due date “and there was limited reporting to management around timely completion of the inspection program”.

It also notes that risk assessment guidance states it is “advisable to systematically assess each tree under council control” but to focus attention on trees in areas of greatest potential risk, when dealing with limited resources.

In response to questions the spokesman said routine visual inspections were carried out by qualified parks infrastructure staff monthly across the council’s parks and gardens, while detailed inspections were conducted every three months and high visitation sites and playgrounds were inspected monthly.

The report stated, at the time of the audit, there was “limited reporting around resolution rates and meeting service and intervention levels especially for urgent customer requests”.

“Some urgent requests were being incorrectly classified by the Customer Service area,” it reads.

The report also states that complaints or notifications of problem trees should be recorded on a tree inventory, starting with “high use and known problem areas”.

Further down the report notes the current draft procedure “makes no reference to timeframes for urgent requests and other sources are inconsistent”.

“For example, the approved 2020 service level for urgent requests is; once physically assessed up to 24 hours, however, the maintenance system’s service level is one day for urgent requests and within four hours for emergencies,” the report states.

The council spokesman said the audit found some non-urgent requests had been elevated to urgent when the “situation was not actually hazardous” which he said meant more complaints had been dealt with as a priority.

“The issue of ‘incorrect classification’ does not imply inspections or complaints were missed,” he said.

“Council’s response time for urgent requests was immediate – and that remains the current process.”

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The report also showed that policy and procedures relating to tree and native vegetation were developed eight years ago, in 2015, but were still in draft format and “in need of review”.

“Currently the draft procedure makes no reference to timeframes for urgent requests and other sources are inconsistent,” it reads.

Little Mountain Woman Jasmyne Lloyd, 20, and Glasshouse Mountains woman Joy Charlton, 80, were killed in a tragic accident at the Glasshouse Mountains on New Year's Eve after a tree fell on their car.

The report reveals the council’s arboriculture services team has a $3.5m budget, including $1.8m for contractors.

The 14 full-time staff deal with over 500 customer requests each month.

The report showed that there were $300,000 in settled property damage, personal injury and other claims against council during 2021-22, with 34 settled out of a total of 263 claims.

“In the 2021/22 financial year, tree related settlements worth $76,000 were all the result of property damage and the most significant settlement of $54,000 was for damage to backyard and fence caused by invasive tree roots,” it reads.

“In 2018, there were three claims and two personal injury settlements involving tree roots amounting to $138,000.”

The Sunshine Coast Council previously stated it had not received any formal complaints about the tree on Old Gympie Rd that killed Ms Charlton and Ms Lloyd, despite some residents saying they had raised concerns.

The spokesman confirmed they had not received any requests regarding the tree that caused the accident.

“The tragic events of 31 December are still before the Coroner,” he said.

“Given council has not yet received feedback from the Queensland Police Service or the Coroner it would be inappropriate to comment specifically on that matter.”