Hobart City Council prepares to add 750 trees and three hedges to its significant tree register

Hobart City Council is preparing to add almost 750 trees and three hedges to its significant tree register. Find out the one spot where more than 70 per cent can be found.

Hobart City Council is preparing to add almost 750 trees to its significant tree register.

HOBART City Council is preparing to add almost 750 trees and three hedges to its significant tree register.

The majority of the 741 specimens proposed to be listed are the 534 located in Soldiers Memorial Ave at Queens Domain.

Council’s will vote on whether to initiate the induction to the register — the first since 2010 — on Monday night.

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More than 1400 trees and four hedges were nominated for induction by 53 community members. The trees can be found on both public and private land.

The majority of the trees are located in Soldiers' Memorial Ave in Hobart.

Six nominations on private land were opposed by the owner or occupier but were still recommended for inclusion until council’s planning committee voted to remove them last week.

Owners that objected to the listing were concerned about “serious injuries or death due to heavy limbs falling”, root systems damaging house foundations and other infrastructure, and the potential to compromise future development plans by being unable to remove the tree.

Alderman Simon Behrakis speaks at a Hobart City Council meeting at the Town Hall. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Alderman Simon Behrakis, whose motion had the contested trees removed, said they were very legitimate reasons.

“The last thing the council should be doing is telling people what they can and can’t do with their own property, especially if it’s not prepared to cover the increased costs for maintenance or any damages these trees cause,” he said.

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One person contributed 36 per cent of the total 1478 nominations, primarily on the ecological contribution of native trees — particularly blue and white gum Eucalyptus trees.

It was determined many were not outstanding individual specimens and did not meet any criteria for listing outside of their potential ecological contribution.

“It is not considered feasible that every native tree of a specific species be automatically granted significance status purely based on its species,” the report said.

The report said the proposal benefited the community by ensuring trees of value to residents and visitors were adequately protected.

A new solution permitting the removal of significant trees that die through natural causes will also be considered by the committee.

Currently a significant tree can be removed if necessary for emergency access or works by a public authority, or a tree poses an immediate danger to people and property.

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