Bradley St trees to go

The species, standing more than 30m high, will be replaced with Chanticleer Pears, deemed “more suitable to the urban environment”.

Councillors decided six to three to remove the trees following claims by Goulburn Mazda dealership owner Kieran Davies that they’d significantly damaged road, pavement and stormwater infrastructure over the years.

He told the Post he’d forked out about $80,000 in 2010 when heavy rain flooded his business. Mr Davies has blamed the plane trees’ “aggressive root system” which had penetrated and clogged up a stormwater main running down Bradley St and draining to the Mulwaree Ponds.

The council has also confirmed the root system’s invasion.

“Every time we get a gullyraker, we get flooded,” Mr Davies said.

He told the Post that hardly a week went by that someone didn’t trip on raised footpaths and cracks that had developed from the roots.

Last week an elderly man tripped, causing a bloody nose and grazed face, Mr Davies said.

“They are very aggressive water finders and they’re not suited to urban settings,” he said.

“The water is under the concrete and footings so that’s where the roots travel. In Goulburn we have long, dry spells, which don’t help.”

A report to Tuesday’s meeting backed up Mr Davies’ claims. 

“The damage to the footpath, stormwater pipe and kerb and gutter is extensive and will be ongoing should the trees remain,” it stated.

Cr Margaret O’Neill described the damage as a “real safety issue”.

“We have a duty of care to the ratepayers,” she said.

But Cr Robin Saville lamented the removal of more CBD greenery. “I’m very concerned about the number of trees being taken out,” he said. 

“Is the council aware of the disappointment within the community about the removal of trees? These are very mature and I don’t want to chop more down.”

He told the meeting that many people had decried the removal of a plane tree outside the AMP building.

Cr Sam Rowland too asked what feedback council had received on the plan, first floated in August.

“Most of what I received was negative and for that reason I can’t support it,” he said.

Operations director Matt O’Rourke replied that feedback had been “mixed”.

“Yes, we’ve removed a lot of trees but we’ve also replaced them. They’ll take time to grow,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Bob Kirk wanted assurances that infrastructure would also be repaired, avoiding further flooding in the future.

Mr O’Rourke said this was the intention. It’s understood Council will have to repair the stormwater main, footpaths, kerbing and guttering.

Cr Kirk ultimately voted against the removal, with Crs Rowland and Carol James.

Cr Denzil Sturgiss said the public had to appreciate that replacement species took time to grow, but the result would be better in the long run. Mr Davies agrees.

He is planting eight or more Chanticleer Pears, with their “less invasive” root system, at his own cost. The council will foot the $15,000 bill for the plane trees’ removal.

Advanced species, four to five metres high, are expected to grow to 11 metres. They’ll be under-planted with Chinese Jasmine, which has green and white flowers in summer. The trees will have concrete surrounds and planter boxes with brickwork stencilling.

“It will cost a few bob,” Mr Davies said. “But I’d like a nice avenue of trees. In five years people won’t even know anything’s happened.”