Huge Huge Strong healthy Elm tree in backyard: Help

HiEquity said:
Can't touch this because of a heritage listing or that because it's a "tree of significance". Your tree in the middle of suburbia means you are now responsible for providing key habitat to cockatoos or whatever else.
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Whilst I agree partly with what you are saying, on the other hand I'm glad there are laws in place to protect certain things. Imagine the other extreme where we let people do whatever they like with 'their land', and let developers rip down all the beautiful old buildings and build what they like. We'd end up with no trees and heaps of cheap ugly concrete boxes one after the other, squeezing as much as possible onto the land for as little as possible, to make as big a profit as possible. :(
 
Biggles said:
Whilst I agree partly with what you are saying, on the other hand I'm glad there are laws in place to protect certain things. Imagine the other extreme where we let people do whatever they like with 'their land', and let developers rip down all the beautiful old buildings and build what they like. We'd end up with no trees and heaps of cheap ugly concrete boxes one after the other, squeezing as much as possible onto the land for as little as possible, to make as big a profit as possible. :(
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Just to clarify, I don't have a philosophical problem with restrictions on new developments. But that is a completely different proposition to not being permitted to remove some vegetation! It's the quarantining of land from its normal permitted use for other "social objectives" that I object to... What you choose to do with a tree in your spare time on your own land should be of no interest to the State.
 
Hi all,

RE Rocks,

I had a long reply typed out last night when the forum went off the air last night :mad:

Basically that letter is no good. You are far better off approaching this from a different angle.

Get an arborist to write up a report on pruning the tree, not a tree lopper.

Get the arborist to prune the tree. If the tree is unsound at all, and being a big elm that has been pruned/lopped in the past, then there is a high likelyhood of the arborist finding structural weaknesses (internal rot not visible from outside), the tree will need to come down.

Elms in southern Victoria are very fast growing and seem to be very susceptible to rots from past prunings/branch breaks as entry points. In the past I have been involved in cutting down Elms where there was public outcry about the beautiful old trees, media involved, protest groups etc, yet the council went with the arborist report.

We had a crowd and media present when the first tree came down.

It split on hitting the ground with no more than an inch of good wood around the outside of the trunk of 4' diameter. The mayor and CEO of the shire, gave a sigh of relief as it was obvious to everyone that the tree could have come down at any time. The protesters left quietly as they realized they were wrong.

bye
 
If it is causing a heap of stress and really impacting your life, then you could always sell.

Saves the possible large fine & you can offload the property to someone who admires the tree, whilst buying a tree free backyard for yourself.

I know there are costs to selling, and buying, but if it really is that annoying and is taking over your life, its a small cost in the long run !! happiness is priceless

Cheers
 
the letter is too personal.

emotions are not legislated - you need to address the legislation that the dept used to assess the criteria for keeping the tree, and justify why it's not applicable in this case.

your letter is just a big whinge and can't be indexed to any policy or legislation to back it's case, so your appeal is likely to be rejected.
 
Brett IP said:
If it is causing a heap of stress and really impacting your life, then you could always sell.

Saves the possible large fine & you can offload the property to someone who admires the tree, whilst buying a tree free backyard for yourself.

I know there are costs to selling, and buying, but if it really is that annoying and is taking over your life, its a small cost in the long run !! happiness is priceless

Cheers
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I love the suburb and would love to stay here for a very long time. The tree is rotten and i'm not too sure how many admirers would I find.

It's not taking over my life.... i'm drafting the letter in a way that it comes out like it is eating a lot of time in my life.
 
Biggles said:
You're attaching letters from your mean friends but not an arborist report? :confused:

The tree is ruining your relationships with your friends? :rolleyes:

I'm sorry, but I would laugh at that.

What a naughty naughty tree, have you tried putting it in time out? :)
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I am getting an arborist report too. I was told by people who applied in the past to Kingston Council that they take it seriously, if it's ruining your relationships with friends, families & neighbours and that if they are supportive of the fact that tree is an obstacle, include that in that the letter.
 
all,

thanks for your inputs/suggestions. After 7 long months of fighting with the council, i have managed to gain permit to knock down the tree.

It took buy-in from neighbours, insurance, health and safety related issues on the letter etc to finally get a permit....

i am very very pleased with the outcome....;)

Feel like an expert in this...hahaha
 
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