OPW15/0195 Supporting Information- Clearing Vegetation

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Australian Standards

Two Australian Standards are relevant to this report -

1. AS4970-2009 Protection of trees on development sites. This standard defines then extent
of Tree Protection Zones and Structural Root Zones and makes recommendations for tree
management.

2. AS4373-2009 Pruning of omenity trees. This standard               makes recommendations     for
appropriate methods of foliage and root management.

Background

Although the scope of the following report is intended to cover trees and their safety risk, in
this instance the term 'safety' has other connotations outside of the generally accepted
issues of the potential effects of trees on building integrity and people's safety. The mere
presence of trees has inextricable implications for bushfire safety and building amenity.

Two reports by the author in 2014 for Elandra and the adjoining-but-one lIuka development
investigated the issue of trees and bushfire risk in the Covenant area. More precise
management recommendations for bushfire risk are contained in the aforementioned
Friend and Houghton report (2015) and the following report is intended as an adjunct to
their findings.

Findings

The location of specific trees worthy of attention is plotted on an extract of the site's Smart
Map (Qld Govt) and is included in the following pages.

The initial site inspection on the 11'h September was conducted solely from the building side
of the Covenant fence. Conversely the 15th and 24th September inspections were conducted
from the Covenant side of the fence and placed the safety issue in a dramatic context.

DEAD TREE

A large tree initially located approximately 5 metres from the Covenant fence was observed
to have fallen in a - fortuitously - northerly direction away from the building. DBH was 32
cm and the height 14 metres. Some sparse dead foliage indicated that the species is a She
Oak (likely to be A. littoralis). See photo on title page.

There appeared to be a complete mechanical failure at the root crown junction. However
there were no immediately obvious indications of wood decay such as fungal hyphae,
oozing, spongy material or fruiting bodies. Any colour changes in the wood appeared to be
nothing more than that normally associated with the differences between the outer
sapwood and the heartwood. However it was very noticeable - and disturbing - that
virtually none of the root ball was attached to the butt end.


Taylor Ecology                    Arbori.t   Report v3 - Sept 2015             Elandra, Noosa Head.