- The ex-row of beautiful Hill’s figs in Mayfield – do you think there was an arborist report saying they were going to fall down?
This is a media release from Save Our Figs Inc. Thanks to John Sutton and Fee Mozeley for putting this together. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘risk’
Media Release – Laman Street trees safer than other fig trees in Newcastle 20.1.2012
January 20, 2012Mike Ellison’s report 15.1.2012
January 15, 2012
How fantastic it is to receive Mike Ellison’s report on Laman Street. (more…)
2011: a totally risk-free year in Laman Street 6.1.2012
January 6, 2012
The Health and Safety Executive in the UK has an interesting page on the principles of risk management. (more…)
Thanks to Ed Glatfelter-Jones 17.12.2011
December 17, 2011
This is an email sent by Laman Street campaigner Ed Glatfelter-Jones to decision makers.
Lord Mayor Tate, Councillors, Mr Pearce, Ministers and Others,
As events appear to be moving quickly on Laman Street, I have opted to respond and comment on several items in this one message sent to multiple recipients. I have been informed by Cr Bob Cook that due to the length of my treatises, as he calls them, most in office will not bother to read them. I hope that is not the case. (more…)
Thanks Mr O’Farrell 11.12.11
December 11, 2011
Had a lovely figtail party outside the Art Gallery on Friday. Greeted the Premier with cheers and signs and our lovely former secretary escorted Mr O’Farrell from his car to the front entrance.
We could be forgiven for thinking that Council tried to usher him in the rear – condemned – entrance of the gallery, in order to avoid any members of the community outside the gallery, but what politician would want to avoid a happy, respectable, welcoming crowd?
Here’s a 1 minute video of his arrival.
I’ll wager he didn’t feel at risk under the trees. And Cr Cook has been spreading joy again: he has distributed a document about what he sees as lies about Laman Street spread by campaigners. Here’s Mark Hartley, one of the community’s arborists, on a small part of that ‘litany’:
‘The assertion that it has been proven that the root plates are defective is simply false. Only Marsden has undertaken an examination of the root plates under the road and the only evidence that he could provide was that the roots were not present in hydrophobic soils that were not conducive to root growth and development.
Marsden correctly forms the view that the root plates are not on the surface. The assumption that an asymmetric root plate is defective in itself is false and has been presented without a piece of supporting evidence. I was able to show a tree at Angkor Watt with significantly greater root plate asymmetry that has stood for hundreds of years.
In addition I can provide over 50 peer-reviewed and published papers that challenge the assumption that root plate asymmetry is a defect.
See “Anchorage and Asymmetry in the Root System of Pinus peuce” Mickovski, S. Ennos, R. Silva Fennica 37(2); “Anchorage of Mature conifer: resistive turning moment, root-soil plate geometry and root growth orientation” Lundstrom et el (2007) Tree Physiology 27, 1217 – 1227; “Adaptive Growth of Tree Root systems in response to wind action and site conditions” Nicoll, B & Ray, D. (1996) Tree Physiology 16, 891-898 as a start.
Cook refers to SULE but may not be aware that the originator of SULE, Jeremy Barrell, is one of the experts that NCC has disregarded, in spite of the fact that he acted independently of any party and received no remuneration for his assessment.’
I’ve posted this before but you can watch Barrell and his colleague Cashman talking about Laman Street here.
A tree in Tours in France, planted by Napoleon and not chopped down even though it needs support
He also says,
…I find it odd that there are numerous arborists who have come out in support of the retention of the trees because the risk of harm is not unacceptable…Has anyone seen the same support for the removal of the trees because of the risk they supposedly pose coming forward to the council?
The only support council has is from a group on a forum (who have been fed propaganda … with the hope of it causing damage to the SoF group). Some people on this believe that the trees should be removed to show the community that council makes decision and not the community. I agree with Cook that SOF does not represent the majority of the community, rather it represents the distinct majority of those who have an opinion either way about the trees. A large portion of the community do not care either way and unfortunately it is their money that NCC is wasting to avoid facing up to the facts “the trees do not pose an imminent risk.”
Thanks to Sharon Healey for the photo of the Premier.
A quiet life 25.9.2011
September 26, 2011
The last few days has been very peaceful, from a fig point of view. Won’t it be fantastic when every week is like this? (more…)
Maitland’s Memorial Trees 4.7.2011
July 4, 2011
I skimmed Newcastle City Council’s Street Tree Masterplan as it’s currently on exhibition – thanks to a friend for letting me know about it. The photo on the left is of a leopard tree, posted here because I notice these are on the list of exotics to be planted as street trees in Newcastle. (more…)
Cyber bits and pieces
July 2, 2011As usual, I’m still obsessing about risk and the definition of tree failure. I couldn’t stand it any more so I sought (more) advice. I do like to able to argue intelligently with my cyber bullies. (more…)
Part 2 of the last LSWP meeting post will have to wait + Fire escapes 27.6.2011
June 27, 2011
The Laman Street Working Party had a workshop yesterday. Some extremely positive things came out of it. Don’t you wish you’d been there? (more…)
Working Party meeting & Gloves off part 1 23.6.2011
June 24, 2011
Well, I’m almost speechless. Last night (22.6.11) was an emergency meeting of the Laman Street Working Party. Since it’s all about the vibe, I’ll just say that the vibe was mostly pretty irritating.
