Council street tree plantings dry up

Brisbane City Council has suspended planting street trees because of the drought, but says the iconic Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens is well placed to survive the prolonged dry.

Council has suspended street tree plantings except at roads projects due to the drought. Picture: iStock

Brisbane City Council has suspended planting street trees because of the drought, but says the iconic Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens is well placed to survive the prolonged dry.

Councillor Steve Toomey, who represents leafy westside ward The Gap, confirmed in a Facebook post to a resident that street plantings had been suspended with the exception of “project based’’ plantings.

“These (project plantings) include six months maintenance and watering,’’ Cr Toomey said.

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Council boosted its tree planting spending 25 per cent, to $22.8 million, in the May Budget but since then the severity of the drought has taken governments across the country by surprise.

Last financial year, Council planted 13,168 trees on its land, although 11,096 of them died or were removed to make way for infrastructure such water pipes and sewers, driveways and buildings.

This year, to date, it has planted 9147 street trees.

“In response to the drought-like conditions, Council began limiting tree planning in October in response to dropping dam levels (and) lack of rainfall,’’ a spokeswoman said.

“To save water, Council uses harvested stormwater to water street trees, plants and green space in many locations across Brisbane, and has minimised its new plantings.

“Council is also reviewing assets to fix water leaks and implement more water-efficient processes.’’

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But Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri said street trees were frequently not being watered and later died.

“They still count them in their totals, even when they die over and over. Their failure to protect trees in streets and parks is quite concerning,’’ he said.

He also was dismayed that large, shady trees able to withstand drought were frequently removed for road widening, highrises and other developments and replaced with saplings vulnerable to dry spells.

Council said it had been taking active measures to keep the Mt Coot-tha gardens, the city’s top visitor attraction, in good condition despite the lack of rain.

“This includes techniques to condition and wet the soil and scheduled watering times to reduce evaporation,’’ the spokeswoman said.

“Water from the Mt Coot-tha dam is also being used to water the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, which is considered Queensland’s premier subtropical botanic garden.’’

Staffing levels for park maintenance across the city had not been cut, despite a dramatic slowdown in grass growth.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner meanwhile announced yesterday that Council had donated $100,000 to the Queensland Country Women’s association to help its drought disaster assistance work.

“Drought is having a terrible impact across the state and it’s Brisbane’s turn to lend a hand,’’ Cr Schrinner said.

“This donation is a message from our city to our country friends – we are here to support each other in times of crisis and disasters.”