Yarra Ranges councillors seek new powers to overrule arborists on nuisance trees

DO councillors know better than arborists when it comes to nuisance trees? A council in Melbourne’s outer east seems to think so. Click to find out why.

Yarra Ranges Councillor Andrew Witlox wants the council to have more power to resolve tree issues. Picture: David Crosling

YARRA Ranges councillors, not arborists, could have the final say on whether “nuisance” trees on council land should stay or go.

A new set of recommendations set to go before the council next month would give councillors the power to vote on whether trees should face the axe.

RELATED: Sports clubs concerned for children’s safety due to dangerous tree

Cr Andrew Witlox, the architect of the policy plan, told the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader last year he was on a mission to have “nuisance” trees removed, regardless of their health. He said residents were frustrated about receiving repeated rejections for the removal of trees on council land.

“If a council arborist deems a tree healthy then that’s it,” Cr Witlox said.

“The resident’s issue cannot be taken further by the resident or even by a councillor — this is not acceptable.”

Cr Witlox expects his fellow councillors to approve the changes, that will bring tree management issues before council meetings.

He said the move could be a Victorian first, saying he believed no other council in the state had the power to vote on “nuisance” trees, unless they went through a planning permit process.

RELATED: Coroner makes findings into tree fall that killed Kilsyth teen

The council was forced to rethink its tree management policy last year to meet a coroner’s recommendations in the wake of the death of Kilsyth teen James Winchester.

Mr Winchester, 19, was killed in June 2013 when a large section of a 15m tree fell and pierced his chest as he drove along Glasgow Rd, Kilsyth.

Cr Witlox said under the current system an arborist would deem a tree safe but under the new policy a councillor could escalate the issue on behalf of the community. “The last word will be with the councillors,” he said.

“There are a number of nuisance trees around and it’ll be good to get them removed and possibly replaced with native shrubs.”

Last month the Leader reported the Yarra Junction netball, football and cricket clubs had all written to the council demanding a tree be removed before someone was hurt (March 18, 2016).

That tree had been deemed safe by arborists despite numerous reports of it dropping branches near spectators and players.

After Leader raised the issue, the council agreed to apply for a planning permit to remove the tree.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jason Callanan said the policy change would result in a commonsense approach to tree removal.

He said trees wouldn’t be removed if a resident was upset with falling leaves or something minor.