Port Phillip Council arborists give 46,000 trees clean bill of health
Following the tragic deaths of two women when falling tree branches struck them, Port Phillip council has hastened to inspect its 46,000 trees in a bid to ensure public safety. This is what they found.
Inner South
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Trees across Port Phillip have been given a clean bill of health from arborists despite public safety concerns and fears they could be at risk of collapsing or dying in extreme heat.
The council moved quickly to ensure the health of its 46,000 trees following the tragic death of a mother of two in Princes Park in August.
Allison Milner, 36, was struck and killed by a falling Elm while walking through the Carlton North park on her way to work.
The respected academic’s death spurred Melbourne City Council to immediately inspect hundreds of trees along Royal Parade.
Another woman was injured by a falling branch in Union St, St Kilda earlier this month, while Irish nurse Mary Ellen Molloy, 26, died when the car she was travelling in was struck by a falling gum tree branch on Kings Way in South Melbourne last December.
Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss said the council had also prioritised its annual inspection of trees in popular parks, high pedestrian areas and tree-lined boulevards — including St Kilda Road, Catani Gardens, Alma Park and St Kilda Botanic Gardens — in light of the Professor Milner’s death.
“The arborists’ checklists included looking for any signs of root plate stress,” she said.
“We found a small number of trees requiring further inspection or action and this was undertaken immediately.”
Cr Voss said 48 trees had remedial works done, including pruning and removal of dead branches, while one tree was removed.
“Council continues to inspect its entire tree population annually and undertake immediate works if these checks highlight any risks,” she said.
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“While this tree inspection practice is above the Victorian Local Government benchmark, we continue to err on the side of caution and are always looking at ways of improving this system.”
Cr Voss said the council did not have authority over government or privately-owned trees.
Meanwhile, a study of flora in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens revealed at least a quarter were at high risk of collapsing and dying due to climate change, with European species most under threat.
Last month a 158-year-old white oak with fungal issues collapsed and could not be saved due to rising temperatures.
The study, commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in 2017, found plants could not survive in temperatures similar to Algiers, Algeria, Casablanca, Morocco and Tijuana, Mexico, which Melbourne is expected to experience by 2090.