Eucalyptus mannifera… lose branches even on a hot, still day, says Cedric Bryant.
He says it’s worth remembering that every tree on the median strip of Northbourne Avenue will need to be felled before the light rail project can begin and that’s before we get to the tangle of relocating underground services along the strip.
The recently announced replacement species for the capital’s gateway, Eucalyptus mannifera, is “not commonly referred to as the widow maker or brittle gum for nothing,” he harrumphs.
“It is renowned for dropping branches without warning, not on windy days necessarily, but on a quiet, dead still day. It is one of the main problem trees for ACTEW with large branches falling on power lines.”
Inspired by a 1994 national seminar themed “Urban Trees –The Challenge for Australian Cities and Towns”, Cedric learned that eucalypts require a higher level of maintenance than deciduous trees due to their characteristic of whole branches dying and dropping for no apparent reason.
“While eucalypts grow to a very old age in nature, there are very few that have survived past the age of 60 years as street trees,” he says
“On the other hand there is a much higher proportion of exotic deciduous trees that are considerably older than 60 and still in good health.”
And what’s more, he says, eucalypts can only be planted when small, whereas exotic deciduous trees can be planted as large, advanced trees, which would reduce the timescale of growth and visual impact on the main route through Canberra.
All for nought, Cedric. The NCA won’t have a bar of deciduous trees on Northbourne Avenue.
Tagging Barr ‘out of touch’
IT was heart-warming to see the party of the silvertails taking up cudgels for the working families of Canberra against the Chief Minister’s let-them-drink-sparkling-mineral-water defence of his hateful new nocturnal and weekend parking charges around the city centre.
“He’s truly out of touch with regular Canberrans and city businesses by dismissing the impact of parking fees,” bubbled the Opposition’s Brendan Smyth in a carefully phrased backhander.
The Libs accused Andrew Barr of laughing off the impact of new parking fees by comparing the cost to a bottle of sparkling mineral water at high-end restaurants.
The “out-of-touch” theme was reprised when UnionsACT’s large-sample survey revealed the bleeding obvious, that most of the city opposes the light-rail project.
“Andrew Barr is clearly out of touch with the wishes of Canberrans,” cheerfully cooed Libs’ deputy leader Alistair Coe.
Here’s the rub
WHOEVER’S doing the marketing for this city-based sandwich board ought to be toasted. What used to be “Now $59” for a VIP Thai massage is now $69. And wouldn’t you resent paying the extra $10 when the sign suggests it used to be cheaper?
Warm, fuzzy and odd
RED noses are one thing but the eminently worthy Cerebral Palsy Alliance has trumped that with the singularly silly “Onesies for a Day”. CC, of course, wouldn’t be seen dead in one, but on July 1 the alliance is inviting people to “feel warm and fuzzy, inside and out” and wear one, presumably to work, in support of kids living with cerebral palsy.
Register at everydayhero.com.au and search “Onesies”.
Is it hot in here?
WHILE government largesse shines on Gungahlin, the sun it would seem is shining on unloved Tuggeranong.
While the rest of the city shivers in the gloomy depths of winter, Tuggeranong would appear to be basking in a heatwave if the electronic sign at the Southern Cross Club’s southern outpost is to be believed (which it’s not). Through a rain-smeared windscreen, CC was bog-eyed to discover the outside temperature was, according to the sign, 37C! It was good for morale if nothing else.
New Mr Memories
Marc McCreadie.
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