Postponed elm tree removal to proceed in interest of community safety

To address the risk to public safety, postponed plans to remove and replace four deteriorated Dutch Elm trees and one Golden Elm along Queen Street, Warragul will soon proceed.  

Plans to remove and replace the trees were originally announced in August 2022. They followed detailed assessments by independent arborists which concluded that the deteriorating trees pose a risk to public safety. Works were postponed, however, when a final review revealed that further planning assessment would be required before the trees could be removed.   

Council’s Planning Department has since completed a full assessment of the trees against the relevant planning conditions and a permit for their removal has been granted. 

With the necessary planning permissions now secured, works will soon proceed to remove and replace the four mature Dutch Elms and one semi-mature Golden Elm with Chinese Elms. 

Chinese Elms have been selected as the replacement species as they are more tolerant of the harsh streetscape conditions, compared with the Golden Elm and Dutch Elm species. Chinese Elms are also not susceptible to Elm Leaf Beetle, unlike the Golden and Dutch Elm species which require a chemical treatment every two to three years.  

The tree removals will occur from 10.00pm on Tuesday 5 September 2023 to minimise the impacts of a temporary closure of Queen Street’s west-bound south lane for the duration of the works. The night works will also take advantage of the reduced pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic surrounding the trees, reducing the hazards of the work site.  

The five replacement Chinese Elms will be planted before the end of 2024. 

Council understands that considerable value is placed on these mature Elm trees by our community. At the time of the original decision, Council held an information session with several key stakeholders, including Warragul Residents and Ratepayers Association and Friends of Trees groups (Drouin and Warragul) to communicate the arborists assessment relating to the health and safety of the trees, the recommendation to remove them, and Council’s detailed plans Posto replace the trees. Those groups have been recently notified that the postponed works will now proceed as planned. 

Council has installed temporary signage on Queen Street to inform pedestrians and traffic of the road closure and to provide information about the trees’ removal.  

“I can empathise with those in our community who will be sad to see these trees replaced,” says Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Cr Annemarie McCabe. “It’s not a pleasant decision, but it is a prudent one. As a Council, we are committed to preserving the natural beauty of our town, while ensuring the safety of our residents. That’s why we must remove these trees and replace them with more suitable, but equally attractive, species. With the planning requirements now fully satisfied, we will carry out these necessary public safety works, while minimising their disruption to traffic and business.”