The Town of Bassendean has been unable to preserve a 75-year-old river red gum tree located at Bassendean Oval. An independent consulting arborist has confirmed that the tree will not recover and must be removed.
Tree Removal Confirmed
On Monday, May 4, the town announced that despite extensive efforts to promote recovery, the tree will be removed on Friday, May 8. The logs will be retained for use in the town's natural areas and parks as habitat logs.
“Due to the location, it is not suitable to retain the dead tree in place,” the announcement stated.
Declining Health
In March, the town reported that the tree, situated at the north-eastern end of the oval near the carpark, had begun showing signs of declining health. This coincided with the completion of lighting upgrades at the site in August last year. At that time, the town could not determine the reason for the tree's decline.
CEO Cameron Woods expressed disappointment that, despite extensive efforts over the past two months, the large tree would not recover.
“At this stage, the town cannot definitively state a single cause for the tree’s decline,” he said.
Lighting Upgrade Measures
Mr Woods noted that during the lighting upgrade project, the town followed a specialist tree protection report and implemented measures to minimise impacts. These included:
- Avoiding excavation within the tree’s structural root zone
- Carefully exposing roots near the zone using a radial-pattern excavation method
- Using clean sharp tools to cut only small roots (under 50mm)
- Preserving larger roots (over 50mm) by digging around them when installing conduit
- Providing additional watering throughout the project
Increased Care Efforts
Once signs of decline became noticeable, the town’s urban forest team increased care with more frequent watering and the application of Seasol, wetting agents, trace elements, and soil microbes. Temporary fencing and signage were also installed in consultation with the Swan Districts Football Club.
“For safety reasons, the tree cannot be retained in place and removal is scheduled for Friday, May 8,” Mr Woods said.
“The logs will be retained for use in the town’s natural areas and parks as habitat logs, and the town is reviewing potential locations at nearby parks and reserves for additional tree planting this winter to offset the lost canopy.”
