Removing the green outlook from her apartment would increase noise pollution, diminish enjoyment of the property and affect its value, she said.
Councils were investing heavily in minimising “human heat stress”, she said, and “trees with a thick canopy like this are probably the best investment that you could have”.
A council report concluded the roots of the 24-metre tree could not be pruned further without affecting its structural stability and health, and removing it would have negligible impact on fauna and habitat.
“Further, based on our insurer’s recommendation to settle the claim, [the] council would no longer be insured for damage caused by this tree and its roots,” the report said.
This is not the first time a dispute over the trees has erupted. Residents petitioned the council 20 years ago to save the trees following a proposal for all five to be removed.
Loading
Another local, Frankie Sullivan, said “all legitimate avenues, including legal action”, were being “actively pursued” to persuade the council to reconsider.
“Council have now been furnished with a structural engineer’s report obtained at the expense of residents. That report does not conclude that the tree has caused the damage as claimed,” Sullivan said.
Local homeowner Rob Aird, an engineer who works in construction and property development, said the tree was scheduled to be chopped down on Thursday, but the council advised in the morning there would be a reprieve pending an extraordinary general meeting on March 25.
A residents’ group is mobilising to save a giant fig tree in Quail Street, Clovelly.Credit: Edwina Pickles
“I’m concerned that council will continue down the same path,” he said.
“Our ask is simply that they go back and reassess the fact base with the insurance company and make an appropriate decision, including based on our new engineering report.”
The residents’ group paid for the report from an expert, who is known to the group. The report concluded that none of the proposed repair work was “currently justified”.
Foliage fight
- Randwick City Council has set a target of 40 per cent tree canopy cover on council-managed land by 2040.
- The five Hills weeping fig trees in Quail Street, Clovelly, are estimated to be up to 80 years old.
- More than 20 residents paid for an expert engineer’s report about the likelihood that the one tree slated for removal by the council caused damage to private property.
Spender, whose seat of Wentworth encompasses Clovelly, said residents were “very concerned by this proposal, so I am writing to the mayor and councillors”. She would request they “carefully review” the report “and respond to the evidence before any decision is made”.
Loading
A Randwick City Council spokesperson said tree removal was “always a last resort after all other options to manage the tree such as canopy and root pruning and repairing footpaths are undertaken”.
“The tree in question is causing significant structural damage to both public infrastructure and private property and there is a financial risk that council may be liable for any future damage caused by the tree.”
The council had called the EGM in light of residents’ concerns and “to seek clarification from insurers around future liability”.
It was “committed to … increasing our city’s tree canopy to 40 per cent on council managed land” by 2040, and had “planted more than 2000 advanced street trees” in the past two years.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
