Calls to prune back ‘exorbitant’ tree protection rules set by Hobart City Council

Hobart City Council has agreed to rethink its tree-chopping rules following public outcry over a $60,000 quote to remove a single tree. LATEST >>

Hobart City Council has agreed to rethink its tree-chopping rules following a public outcry over its “exorbitant” compensation fees.

It comes after The Mercury reported on the case of one developer who was told he’d have to pay $60,000 in order to receive council’s permission to remove a single tree.

Councillor Simon Behrakis said this was clearly excessive, and proof that the whole policy needed reviewing.

tree removal

Alderman Simon Behrakis at an open Hobart City Council meeting. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“It is clearly apparent that this does not align with community expectations and places an inordinate cost on those developing much-needed housing in our city,” Cr Behrakis said.

“The burden of this cost [is] falling on those who can least afford it in the form of higher housing and rental prices.”

However Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said council’s own officers and industry experts agreed that the current policy was best practice.

Cr Reynolds said she saw little point in reviewing a policy that was already recognised around Australia as industry standard.

Lord Mayor of Hobart Anna Reynolds. Picture: Chris Kidd

“I think this is a really good policy, it’s a fairly new policy, and I think it needs more time to be utilised and lessons learnt from it,” Cr Reynolds said.

“Just because we’ve had one particular case brought to us, why would we go to all the work to review a policy that … is currently best national practice.”

Deputy mayor Helen Burnett said, if anything, the tree compensation rules did not go far enough in protecting Hobart’s natural assets.

“I think this motion could actually strengthen the tree protection policy – that’s certainly what I’d like to see,” Cr Burnett said.

Hobart City Council Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnett. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It’s really important we retain some of the trees for climate change reasons, for habitat, and so I look forward to this being strengthened.”

Ald Marti Zucco said this was an experimental policy which, in his view, was already showing its failings.

“The officers originally, when we put this policy up, had some serious reservations that it hadn’t been tested,” Ald Zucco said.

“We’ve got this situation and it’s only appropriate we review it if we are going to have an airtight policy, and this one here isn’t.”

The motion was ultimately passed despite the opposition of Cr Reynolds, Cr Burnett, and Cr Mike Dutta.

Originally published as Calls to prune back ‘exorbitant’ tree protection rules set by Hobart City Council