Problem tree to be removed

Mari Lopez said in a deputation before the May 28 meeting that when she moved into her Towerhill Road home in May 1999, there were two large trees on the verge and she thought they would be a problem in the future.

She said she asked the City to remove the trees but only the closest one to her home was cut down.

In the past three years, Ms Lopez said she had made three insurance claims and all of them were put down to problems caused by tree roots. She said the river red gum was a danger to herself, her home, her family and other residents.

According to a council document, the City had attended Ms Lopez’s home on three occasions to prune the tree and once to investigate and repair damage to the footpath caused by tree roots.

The document said she asked for the tree to be removed due to issues with leaf litter in the roof gutters but was told the City did not remove trees for that reason.

In March 2013, a 10-signature petition was received by the City, requesting the removal of the tree.

The City had an arboricultural consultant assess the tree and found it in good structural condition and there was no reason to remove it. City administration recommended the tree not be removed but when the item went to vote, it lapsed.

Cr Brett Treby then moved an alternative motion to remove the tree and to replace it with a more suitable tree for the area.

He said the cost to the City of monitoring and maintaining the tree over time would outweigh the cost of its removal (about $3000). Cr Denis Hayden seconded the motion and said the City needed to select more appropriate trees for the surrounding environment.

‘We will consult with the property owner and the street tree master plan to select a suitable tree,’ Wanneroo chief executive Daniel Simms said.

Councillors unanimously accepted Cr Treby’s alternative motion.