By Jeremy Cook
Warwick’s large London Plane trees provide plenty of shade for pedestrians walking through the town’s CBD.
They also cause headaches for Southern Downs Regional Council, which for the past seven years has sought to fix the damage their fast growing roots have caused to a number of public footpaths.
One tree, located across the road from the council administration building on Fitzroy Street, will be the latest to be removed in favour of a different species, the Scarlet Oak tree.
The removal forms part of the council’s CBD pedestrian upgrades which began back in April. It’s also part of another plan dating back to 2017 to replace London Plane trees throughout Warwick CBD due to the damage the species’ roots have caused to public footpaths.
In the past few years alone, council chief executive Dave Burges said the trees had become increasingly problematic.
“London Plane trees flourish in cold, wet weather,” Mr Burges said.
“Following drought-breaking rains in 2021 and four years of favourable weather conditions, the problems caused by the roots of the tree located on the corner of Palmerin and Fitzroy Streets [have] increased exponentially,” he said.
“Leaving the tree in place is unfortunately not an option as its future growth will also impact the new safety upgrades to the CBD pedestrian crossings.”
London Plane trees can grow upwards of 40 metres in height with a circumference of up to 3m. They’re popularity is widespread in cities across the world, including London and Sydney, in part due to the shade they can provide.
But the trees’ upper layer of roots can grow horizontally to a length of up to 30 metres and in Warwick, it’s caused extensive damage to underground infrastructure and building foundations.
Several trees in Grafton and Palmerin Streets have already been replaced under the council’s species program since it began in 2017. In consultation with community members and local businesses, the council committed to replacing London Plane trees with Scarlet Oak trees where required.
Mr Burges said the growth of mature trees in the CBD are monitored regularly and replaced accordingly when safety concerns arise.
“The Scarlet Oak trees in Grafton Street are a great example of the species replacement program’s success,” he said.
“Council looks forward to reinstating a mature tree on the corner of Palmerin and Fitzroy Streets as part of the improvements in the area.”
Mr Burges said the council had consulted with Warwick Art Gallery ahead of the Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival and confirmed the tree on Fitzroy Street “was not included in the annual tree jumper exhibition due to safety concerns.”
