AN EAST Fremantle resident says authorities are threatening to chop down at least three of his decades-old trees due to a potential polyphagous shot-hole borer infestation despite an independent arborist saying they just need a prune.
The trees on David Williams’ Fraser Street block were first inspected by primary industries and regional development officers looking for the borer in April this year.
They found “a couple of spots” on three of the trees’ branches, but advised Mr Williams they only needed pruning because the borer had not been located in the trunk.
A couple of months later, however, he got a call back from DPIRD.
• David Williams and his soon-to-disappear robinia. Photo by Katherine Kraayvanger
“They told me that all three trees are going to have to come out,” Mr WIlliams said.
He was given a chance to appeal to the department’s director general, so he enlisted the help of an independent arborist who confirmed DPIRD’s original finding that just the branches would have to be removed.
“DPIRD had that appeal report for three months, and I finally got a response at the start of October, and nothing had changed,” Mr Williams said.
“It was exactly the same for all three trees… the appeals process was farcical.”
DPIRD’s response to the appeal included the claim that the independent arborist’s assessment “could not be validated”.
“Unfortunately, DPIRD’s experience is that where only limbs of infested trees are removed, trees are soon re-infested.”
A mulberry, fig, and robinia tree are all set to be lopped by DPIRD this Monday, November 11.
The robinia is at least 70 years old and the fig is 50.
There are two other Robinia trees that DPIRD say will be subject to “aerial surveillance and deadwood pruning”, but Mr Williams says he is sceptical and fears the loppers “will just cut them down as well”.
“They are all in perfect health and are putting on fresh spring growth,” Mr Williams said.
“If the trees were looking crook, and [the infection] was really obvious, then sure, we’d have to take them out.
“DPIRD are targeting the species of trees rather than the infestation… it’s very annoying.”
It’s a tense waiting game to see whether the two seemingly uninfected robinias will survive Monday’s cull.
A DPIRD spokesperson says the department “does not comment” on specific cases but “recognises the significant value” of trees to the community.
“Unfortunately, tree pruning or removal is necessary to stop the spread of PSHB, and removing some trees will help save many more.”
The DPIRD spokesperson said that the tree lopping is determined “on a case-by-case basis” and accounts for facts such as species susceptibility, proximity to other trees, and infestation level.
“Priority trees, such as robinia, common fig, and white mulberry, are all highly susceptible reproductive hosts for PSHB,” the spokesperson said.
“International experience shows these trees are likely to die within two years.
“Infested trees need to be removed to prevent the pest from spreading to surrounding trees and further impacting the tree canopy.”
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER