A 130-YEAR-OLD elm tree in Central Park was felled by Armidale Dumaresq Council staff last week due to safety concerns.
Council officer Richard Morsley said the tree was rotting inside.
“It appears the tree was topped and lopped twice in its life, which is now considered unacceptable arboricultural practice,” he said.
“Moisture has entered the trunk via the open wounds allowing fungal decay to rot the internal wood.
“Decay has progressed through most branches of the elm tree and into the two co-dominant trunks that are almost totally hollow to the ground,” Mr Morsley said.
“Due to decay and hollowing within the trunk, the weight and movement of the canopy has finally resulted in a large crack from the leader junction to the trunk base.
“The crack was visibly widening during light winds.”
Council staff looked at alternatives to removal, which included cabling the two co-dominant trunks.
“The risk was that the weight of a failed trunk may skew the cabling, making the target area less predictable,” Mr Morsley said.
“A steel rod was bolted between the two trunks 30 to 50 years ago, however it had pulled through the bark into decaying wood and no longer prevented movements of the trunks.”
Workers cut down the tree last Tuesday before a large audience gathered in Central Park for Carols by Candlelight on Wednesday.
The elm tree will be replaced with an advanced English elm in keeping with Central Park’s exotic tree plantings.
