Ausgrid and Waverley Council will replace three trees along Busby Road Bronte this month, to help improve the streetscape, protect the safety of the electricity network and secure the power supply. Trees growing under powerlines on parts of Busby Road will be removed and replaced with more appropriate native species.
Ausgrid horticulturalist Paul Holmes said the replacement of these trees was a good outcome for local residents.
“A Norkfolk Pine, a palm and an umbrella tree are simply too tall to be under powerlines,” Holmes said. “These trees need to be trimmed regularly to keep them away from the powerline that runs above them."
Holmes said that the trees wpuld not respond well to regular trimming and will lose their visual appeal. “Under an agreement between Waverley Council and Ausgrid the trees will be removed and replaced with more suitable species such as Callistemons."
Holmes maintained that this would improve the streetscape for anyone living in or driving through the area and help secure the local power supply by keeping branches away from powerlines.
Using Callistemon as the replacement species is consistent with council’s Street Tree Masterplan. They will ensure the tree population is maintained, while minimizing the need to trim trees around the electricity network.
About 60 percent of interruptions to Ausgrid’s power supply are caused by external factors like trees coming into contact with powerlines. Ausgrid works to minimize these interruptions by regularly trimming trees to keep them at a safe distance from the powerlines and poles.
