Arborist Report inc VMP

Arborist Report
14 Serenity Close, Noosa Heads




4 METHODS
Tree survey and arboricultural assessment was undertaken on 23 May 2022, with
supplementary audits undertaken on 2 June 2022, 8 June 2022 and 29 June 2022. The
assessment was carried out by a tertiary-qualified botanist (AQF Level 8) and tertiary
qualified arborist (AQF Level 5) with more than 5 years’ vegetation management
experience.

The survey was limited to areas currently zoned Environmental Management and
Conservation, together with areas outside of the building footprint indicated by the
approved plans. The survey included trees or shrubs with a diameter at breast height of
greater than 100mm.

For each of the surveyed trees the following attributes were recorded:

   ● Species,
   ● Tree dimensions (height, canopy spread and diameter at breast height (DBH)),
   ● Canopy structure and form, disease and any other significant features,
   ● Trunk condition and form,
   ● Roots and root collar condition and form,
   ● Overall assessment of tree condition, vigour and Sustainable Retention Index Value
      (SRIV),
   ● Visual tree risk assessment (Dunster et al. 2013),
   ● Assessment of habitat features including hollows and scratch marks, nests, etc., and,
   ● Calculation of TPZ and SRZ in accordance with Australian Standard 4970-2009
      Protection of trees on development sites (AS 4970-2009).

The condition / health of the trees was assessed through a qualitative assessment of their
vigour and condition based on methods described in A visual method of objectively rating
the viability of urban trees for development sites and management, based on general tree
and landscape assessment criteria (Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists
2010). Tree vigour represents the ability of a tree to sustain its life processes,
characterised by an assessment of crown cover, crown density (including potential
accelerated growth due to seemingly beneficial changes to its growing environment),
resistance to predation, evidence of dormancy (deciduous trees). Tree vigour was thus
categorised as normal, high, low or dormant. Tree condition represents a tree’s crown
form and growth habitat, as modified by its environment (aspect, suppression by other
trees, soils, previous pruning), the stability and viability of the root plate, trunk and
structural branches, including defects such as wounds, cavities or hollows, crooked trunk
or weak trunk / branch junctions and the effects of predation by pests and diseases. Tree
condition was categorised as good, fair, poor or dead. In general, trees assessed as being
of low vigour and/or poor condition are generally marked as ‘removed’ as any remedial
work or improvement to the growing environment of such trees is unlikely to render them
viable in the long term.




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