Safety concerns prompt removal of trees from Henderson Park

Published on 07 September 2017

Mildura Rural City Council will remove and replace four trees in Henderson Park next week due to the risk they pose to park users.

The four trees were identified during a recent inspection of Council’s parks and gardens by specialist arborists Homewood Consulting, which recommended they be removed as a high priority.

One of the trees, a large Algerian Oak close to the Mildura cenotaph, sustained severe damage during last November’s storm, which significantly weakened its structure.

Two trees close to Thirteenth Street meanwhile have been classified as in “very poor health”, with poor structure.

These three trees will be replaced with established trees of the same species, while acorns from the Algerian Oak near the cenotaph have already been obtained in a bid to propagate from it, maintaining a historical connection with the tree.

The fourth tree, near Deakin Avenue, has also been classified as having “very poor structure” and poses a safety hazard, particularly given the large number of people who pass by the park near the tree each day. It will be replaced with an established Silky Oak, which are common in the park.

Councillor for Environmental Sustainability Anthony Cirillo said while removal of trees from any of Council’s parks and gardens is a last resort, the safety of the public must come first.

“Henderson Park is a very popular area and often used for large public events, such as the upcoming Mildura Country Music Festival and our annual ANZAC Day service, attracting hundreds of people, making it all the more important to ensure any hazards are removed,” Cr Cirillo said.

“Also, due to the poor health of these trees, their removal and replacement with healthy trees will ultimately improve the visual amenity of the park in the future.

“Once we were given the bad news that these trees needed to be removed, we consulted with our heritage advisor to ensure nothing of historical significance would be disturbed, as well as speaking to the Mildura RSL, Mildura and District Historical Society and Greening Mildura.”

Specialist contractors will start work to remove the trees on Monday, 11 September. The works are expected to take about three days. Henderson Park will not be closed during the works, however some areas will be cordoned off for the community’s safety.

As part of the works, Council will also conduct general tree maintenance and pruning in the park, mainly to remove dead wood from several trees as well as pruning limb overhanging nearby roadways.

For more information contact Council’s Parks and Gardens team on (03) 5018 8100.

Media enquiries 
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au