Eurobodalla Shire Council will begin work to remove the two 122-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees in Moruya’s Russ Martin Park next Tuesday.
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The removal work will follow the relocation by WIRES of the magpie nest in one of the trees to another nearby and pruning work by Essential Energy to provide council workers with clearance from the nearby power lines.
Council will have temporary traffic controls in place on Shore Street, between Ford and Vulcan Streets during the work.
From 6.30am on Tuesday to 12pm Friday, December 7, the areas that will be closed to traffic are:
- Shore St between Vulcan Street and the Moruya swimming pool car park;
- Car parking on the northern side of Shore St;
- Access to the rear car park of the Adelaide Hotel from Shore St (access from Church St will be open);
- Russ Martin Park toilet and picnic facilities.
There will still be pedestrian access under the Moruya Bridge and to the swimming pool and vehicles will be able to access the pool and the wharf during the works from nearby Queen and Ford Sts.
After the historic trees have been removed, Eurobodalla Shire Council will be planting new trees in Russ Martin Park with the help of local school children.
Mayor Lindsay Brown says the Moreton Bay fig trees were planted by school children in the late 1800s as part of a national tree planting day.
“There is a lot of emotion in the community about the removal of these great trees so we thought it would be fitting to have local children help plant the new ones,” Cr Brown said.
The tree planting ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 6, from 2pm and all members are invited.
The fig trees are being removed on the recommendation of a consulting arborist’s report which advised that the trees suffered from the effects of Fig Psyllid disease (Micspsylla fici) and the fungi, Phellinus, and would not benefit from treatment. It said the trees posed a risk to public safety.