Urban Trees - Elms of Risby

20/10/2026

The Central Coast Council has voted unanimously to proceed with a road upgrade in Ulverstone that requires the removal of 25 elm trees.

The trees have lined the street for decades, and 175 people signed a petition to protect them.

A council report found removing the trees was regrettable but necessary to modernise the roadway and footpath.

Councillors thanked the community for their concern at last night's meeting but voted to go ahead with the plans.

Get more local news for Tuesday, October 20 here: https://ab.co/47qgjyr

04/10/2026

Satirical interview with Central Coast Councillor: Tree massacre planned this month in Risby Street Ulverstone

Some of the trees were deliberately poisoned.
Did Council take action? Well that depends on your definition of action.

Some residents say that council are not committed to their own greening strategy.

The strategy identifies there is only 6% street canopy cover in urban areas. The target is 30% tree canopy cover by 2030 - in just 3 years!

In urban areas removal of tree canopy cover means we're going backwards.

We cannot afford to lose any more shade trees. What will it take for council to follow its own policy?

28/09/2026

With an approaching super el nino this is not the time to be removing mature trees

INCREASED HOT DAYS WILL LEAD TO INCREASED ILL HEALTH, INCREASING PATIENTS IN OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND SADLY EVEN EARLY UNEXPECTED DEATHS.

THIS IS NOT JUST DEBATE ABOUT RISBY ST ELMS THIS IS ABOUT OVERARCHING COUNCIL APPROACH TO OUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRENT EVIDENCE GUIDED COUNCIL STRATEGY

Council needs to consider the costs to health and wellbeing of removing mature trees with an approaching super el nino not just the roadwork costs to work around the trees.

Council must rapidly demonstrate its commitment to the greening the coast strategy AND critically public health and wellbeing.

Its not about winning, we just want to see compromise.

17/09/2026

Mad about something....that's for sure!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-13/housing-crisis-trees-collateral-damage/107137146?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=messages

29/08/2026

Response to Council - The Coast Voice Article August 2026 p37

We disagree with some of the Council’s contentions:

1. Council have acknowledged that engineering plans were designed and then were the trees considered afterwards.

2. The arborist mentioned, plus others, gave different opinions regarding the range of solutions for drainage and mitigation of pavement damage. Drainage into the middle of the street is one example. The evidence suggests that road designs were first settled and only then it was checked to see the impact on the trees.

3. RTI application revealed that the project designer FMG originally recommended that the council consult an arborist independently, however council requested FMG arrange this themselves and emphasised “….It’d be ideal to brief them (the arborist) on the context of the community viewpoint..”. That is, the 13 residents who were consulted who wanted the trees removed.
3. Root zones in the street have not been confirmed. Engineering services that search for tree roots and other buried services have advised us that in many instances of urban trees near pavements the root zones may not be where expected and may not present major problems.

4. Council say trees are nearing the end of their natural life. This is denied. Elm trees can often live for 200 years or more. Trees in Campbell town which were recently preserved during road pavement renewals were scanned with technology to help estimate expected longevity. Previous arborist reports did not state that all of the trees were nearing their expected life nor were the majority unhealthy. Several of the trees that now need removing have been damaged by deliberate poisoning, not natural attrition. Council have admitted that they have not been sufficiently pro-active about addressing deliberate vandalism of these trees.

5. Council has a poor record on improving canopy, despite their rhetoric. The Hobbs parade road renovations from 2017, reveals the decline in canopy cover and the very poor outcomes of previous intervention. It would take approximately 270 of the trees (Crepe Myrtle) that council have designated as replacements for the Elms of Risby St to come near to the current tree canopy cover.

We do not claim that all these trees can or should be saved. We acknowledge the need for some mitigation and intervention for residents of the street to live safely.

We question Council’s genuine commitment to its greening strategy, which is an extremely important document with major implications for the health and well-being of all residents and visitors to the Central Coast.

We call for compromise and evidence based outcomes which also show a commitment to all Council policies and strategies, and which reflect the wishes of the wider community to adopt measures to save the trees and mitigate any negative impacts of the trees as borne out in our community survey.

Central Coast Council
The Coastal Voice

21/08/2026

🏡🌳 We're gathering collections of urban trees from all over the place showcasing what is tolerable and acceptable in streets elsewhere

This is not about tree hugging, it's about understanding and valuing our green infrastructure and what it provides to our community

Risks and inconvenience have to be put into proportion and weighed up with the benefits urban trees provide:

> shade and cooling in summer (when the young, the elderly and the sick are at grearest risk of deteriorating health with the ever increasing hot weather events we are seeing in the NW)

> wind and storm protection 💨💨⚡️💨

> reduce storm water runoff ⛈️⛈️

> calm our minds and improve mental health 🧠🏥

> encourage exercise and connection to community two actions know to reduce the likelihood of dementia 👨‍👩‍👦👩‍👦👨‍👩‍👦‍👦🏃‍♀️🤸‍♂️🚴‍♂️💪👟

🌳🏡 Urban trees essential for our healthy future

Central Coast Council Greeing the Coast strategy stipulates 30% trees cover by 2030, sadly we believe councils actions are not helping to see this realised.

11/08/2026

Lets celebrate Urban Trees

Add your picture and comment what it means to you

Examples from around the corner to far and wide are encouraged

Pruned or unpruned these intersrate trees provide shade, reducing urban heating, divert storm water run off and provide habitat for birds.

09/08/2026

Street trees worth more than their looks

With predictions of a record breaking el nino weather event ahead, likely to produce heat waves which even us on the NW coast feel the adverse effects from on our health and stress on our health care system...then this is not the time to be removing mature street trees.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-31/nsw-el-nino-weather-extreme-heat-australia/106973840

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/ #/overview/summary

Green-blue-grey infrastructure can help beat city heat 🌳🌊🏗️

A research drawing together findings from numerous studies identifies the effectiveness of 51 types of green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) – ie. plant-based, water-based, and built concrete installations – from street trees to vegetated balconies.

Main findings? Botanical gardens, wetlands, green walls, and street trees provide the most effective cooling benefits, while also managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and sequestering CO₂. 🌡️ Street trees stand out for their dual role in cooling and climate adaptation.

The study also acknowledges challenges, including maintenance costs and potential land-use conflicts.

As cities face rising risks of extreme heatwaves, GBGI can help reduce risks for urban communities ➡️ https://ow.ly/8nRL50W3Yxr

07/08/2026

Lets celebrate Urban Trees

Add your picture and comment what it means to you

Examples from around the corner to far and wide are encouraged

31/07/2026