Tree removals in Centennial Park – Sept - December 2023

Greater Sydney Parklands will be removing trees in several locations as outlined below:

Thursday 14 December, 7.30am to 3pm (weather permitting)

Two Populus deltoides (cottonwood) trees will be removed in Centennial Park, near the McKay oval, on Thursday 14 December 2023 to improve safety for park visitors and the amenity of the parklands.
 
The trees have been assessed to be structurally unsound due to storm damage and must be removed for public safety reasons.
 
Due to the size, location and proximity of the tree to visitors and residents, the work must be carried out during the day and will take place from 7.30am to 3pm (weather permitting).
 
There will be limited impacts for visitors in relation to access and noise and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. We ask visitors to take extra care in the area.
 
We work to keep our 15,000 trees healthy and beautiful by maintaining our trees, planting new trees and only removing trees when required or necessary.

Wednesday 13 December 2023 - 7am-5pm

Following a recent tree assessment, a contractor engaged by Sydney Water will be removing a large Camphor Laurel tree on Oxford Street, near the reservoir, on Wednesday 13 December 2023.
 
The tree has been in accelerated decline over the past year and will not recover. The tree, which was self-sown and not planted by Centennial Parklands, is on Sydney Water land and is a Sydney Water asset.
 
Works information
Due to the size, location and proximity of the tree to visitors and residents, the work must be carried out during the day.
 
Works will take place from 7am to 5pm (weather permitting) and involve grinding of the stump and the spoil removal woodchipped onsite. There will be some noise associated with the works.
 
Operational changes
The works will require a temporary partial closure of Carrington Drive to motorists and cyclists as well as Oxford Street to pedestrians. Traffic control will be in place to ensure smooth and safe passage around the works for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Past tree removals

Tuesday 17 October 2023, from 7am

Greater Sydney Parklands removed three Maritime Pines (Pinus Pinaster) at Mission Fields Canal at Centennial Park on Tuesday 17 October. The trees had reached the end of their life. The area will be replanted with native trees species from the Sydney Sandstone Woodland palette, better suited to the conditions in this part of the park.
 
During the removal of trees there may be minor disruptions including:

• Noise from chainsaws, chipper and crane over the course of the day and flashing beacons from equipment.
• The site is near the Equestrian Grounds and horses sensitive to noise impacts are advised to avoid the area until the work has been completed.
• A well signed exclusion zone will be in place to keep the general public safe. Pedestrians are requested to exercise caution and keep clear of exclusion zones in the area.

Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 October, from 7am (Equestrian Grounds Grazing Area)

Greater Sydney Parklands removed ten Maritime Pines (Pinus Pinaster) at the Equestrian Grounds Grazing Area on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 October from 7am until work is complete.
 
Unfortunately, the trees had reached the end of their life as pines in the area have experienced environmental stresses. The area will be replanted with native trees from the Sydney Sandstone Woodland, which are better suited to the conditions in this area.
 
Impacts and strategies to minimise disruption include:

• Noise from chainsaws, chipper and stump grinding over the course of the day. The crew has been instructed to minimise time of chipper use and be aware of any approaching horses.
• Noise from chainsaws, and chipper over the course of two days.

Due to the nature of the works, the tree crews were unable to stop for horses.
Any horses susceptible to noise impacts are advised to avoid the area and remain outside of Equestrian Grounds until work has been completed.

Wednesday 11 October 2023, from 9:30am

Greater Sydney Parklands removed three Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) near the Grand Drive cycleway on Wednesday 11 October. Unfortunately, the trees had reached the end of their life, having been in advanced terminal decline and monitored closely by the Trust’s arborists.
 
The trees were last inspected in late 2022 by the Trust’s arborists who removed dead tips and branches, however the trees have continued to decline.
 
One of the oaks will be replaced with the same species in line with Grand Drive historic planting sequence. The other two will be replaced in a few years by a row of Paperbarks, better suited to the conditions.

 

 During the removal there will be minor disruptions:

• The horse track will be closed between Robertson Road Gates and Parks Drive North. There will be barricades in place at the horse entry and access blocked in a clockwise direction.
• Traffic control will be in place from 9am (outside of peak periods) to direct cyclists, pedestrians and cars past the worksite.
• Parking will be blocked from Dickens Drive to Jervois Avenue.

Thursday 12 October from 7am (Federation Way)

Greater Sydney Parklands removed one Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) on Federation Way, overhanging the heritage fountain near Robertson Road Gates.
 
Unfortunately, the tree had reached the end of its life and is in advanced terminal decline having been monitored closely by the Trust’s arborists. The tree had been in advanced stages of decline for several years with tip dieback, sparse canopy and excessive deadwood. Health treatments have been applied with no improvement.

The tree will be replaced by a tree of the same species, in line with Federation Way historic planting sequence. Young replacement trees are currently being grown off-site.

Impacts and strategies to minimise disruption:

• There will be noise from chainsaws, chipper and stump grinding over the course of the day. The crew has been instructed to minimise chipper use and be aware of any approaching horses.

• Any horses sensitive to noise impacts are advised to remain in Centennial Park Equestrian Centre (CPEC), away from the Southern stables and avoid entering the park on this day, given the tree’s proximity to CPEC.

• Traffic control will be in place throughout the day to safely manage pedestrians and cyclist egress through and around the worksite. The crew will keep traffic flow through peak periods (7am - 9:30am).

Tree replacement strategy

Centennial Parklands receives over 30 million visits annually so public safety is our top priority. The tree population of Centennial Parklands is now over 16,000 with 234 different species.
 
As trees decline and reach the end of their life, the risk of branch failure or a tree becoming structurally unsound increases and needs to be closely monitored and managed. Eventually a tree may need to be removed once other tree management strategies become insufficient for public safety or sustaining the health of a tree. Learn more about ‘Circle of (a tree) Life’ .
 
In the next 40 years, a large percentage of our tree population, especially those that are already mature or over-mature will need to be replaced due to their terminal decline. To balance this, we plant trees annually to succeed trees reaching the end of their lifecycle. We aim to replace all trees removed due to age, as soon as possible, as well as increasing the tree population each year to ensure that Centennial Parklands remains one of Sydney’s best loved and healthy green spaces. Find out more about our tree planting and maintenance program.