Over the years there have been a number of terrifying cases in which trees or tree limbs have fallen on campers … and it seems the motto these days is ‘better safe than sorry’.
Some visitors to a popular caravan park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast say they’re disappointed that a large shady tree has been taken down.
The Courier-Mail reports that the tree at Cotton Tree Holiday Park was removed after complaints were made about a ‘cracked limb’.
Brisbane resident Earl Baskerville said he and his family had booked sites behind the tree for the past 20 years, and that the area was often used for picnics and gatherings.
He said he raised concerns about the cracked limb in 2020 but, when he returned in September, he saw its condition had got worse and nothing had been done.
But recently the council took action removing the whole tree.
“I’m not a greenie in any way shape or form, but that tree is an iconic tree for where it is and what it is,” Mr Baskerville told the Courier-Mail. “It was worth the effort to save it … it’s a damn shame because it’s a beautiful spot.”
Before: The tree used to provide shade to campers. PIC: Courier-Mail
Email correspondence between the council and Mr Baskerville stated qualified arborists recommended the removal of the tree. However, Mr Baskerville said the complaints should have been dealt with in 2020, before the state of the tree worsened.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesman told the Courier-Mail that the tree had been removed due to safety concerns, after it had been made aware of issues on September 29 this year.
“An arborist report identified one of the main unions was split causing safety concerns it could break within the short term, especially with summer storms and the proximity of campsites,” they said. “Rectifying the split branch alone would have left the canopy imbalanced increasing the risk of failure of part of the entire canopy, hence the decision was made to remove the tree.”
They told the newspaper that the tree was cut to stump height and would reshoot in the future.
“Council takes the wellbeing and safety of visitors to, and campers at, all its holiday parks extremely seriously and for this reason supported the decision to remove the tree,” they said. “Council will not, under any circumstances, risk the safety of patrons.”
