They’ve been the root cause of intense debate and argument over the past 10 years, but the weather has finally wielded a death blow to a couple of the heritage-listed memorial old English oaks in King George V Ave in Tamworth.
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But the tree lobby group and Tamworth Regional Council horticulturists have agreed that two old trees have to go, finally the victims of recent hot weather.
Tamworth Regional Council and the Save King George V Ave Action Group have been discussing how a water source for the oaks could be provided.
Action group member David Mc-Kinnon said there also needed to be an early detection system for severely deteriorated trees.
“There has been a real deterioration of the trees since this current dry spell came in,” Mr McKinnon said.
Council’s parks and horticulture manager Brian Sheedy said he would consult TRC’s water staff to explore the possibilities of bore water access.
Council has approval from the Office of Environment and Heritage to remove two of the trees, which will be done in late March or early April.
“They are not able to be saved after sustaining storm damage – one has a split trunk, while the other is the remains of a trunk which had its top broken out,” Mr Sheedy said.
Mr McKinnon said there was “no issue” with the removal of the two trees.
“Unfortunately, there are more which will need to go,” he said.
Mr McKinnon said the English oaks, originally planted in 1936, are nearing the end of their lifespan.
“The advice is, 80 years tends to be the life of English oaks in Australia – this means we will need to do a lot of replanting in the year ahead,” he said.
“In their native environment they can continue for up to a couple of hundred years.”
A proposal for replanting sections of the avenue is in the works, as is a conservation plan for the remaining English oaks.
