Residents, drivers staggered by tree in the middle of busy road

Motorists and cyclists have been left to dodge a tree which was planted in the middle of a busy inner-Melbourne street. But the decision to plant the tree was no mistake.

Cars and other road users navigate around freshly-planted trees along Mater Street Collingwood. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A Melbourne council has stumped inner-city residents by planting a tree in the middle of a residential road.

Motorists and cyclists have been left to dodge the obstacle along Collingwood’s Mater St, with some residents even taking the “long way round”.

Resident Rose Bartram, said that trees were welcome but only as long as their planting was properly thought through.

“For now the tree is small enough that it’s not too bad, but what happens when it grows?,” she said.

“If a driver loses their concentration for even a second they could crash.”

Another resident said the council was barking up the wrong tree by introducing “hazards like trees in the middle of the road”.

Cars and other road users navigate around freshly-planted trees along Mater Street Collingwood. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A Yarra City Council spokeswoman said the tree, planted about two years ago, was designed to “calm” traffic in Collingwood.

“In order to calm traffic at this location, we extended the kerb outstands and planted trees both in the outstand and in the middle of the road,” she said.

“This is a greener alternative to using a hard traffic treatment, like a concrete traffic island.

“Where appropriate, we try to incorporate trees as part of our traffic calming projects.”

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The council said it was “happy to look into it” if residents were concerned about the tree.

VicRoads was contacted for comment but told the Herald Sun it was a council issue.

Yarra is not the first Melbourne council to go out on a limb when it comes to tree planting.

Bayside residents slammed Port Phillip Council last year after a tree was “mistakenly” planted in suburban street pothole, instead of being it being filled.

The tree was hastily relocated in the blunder that saw Port Phillip dubbed the “Fawlty Towers” of councils.