Russell's 150-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree is in need of expert assistance.
Russell's 150-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree is in need of expert assistance.
A section of The Strand, on Russell's foreshore, was closed to traffic yesterday while an arborist began investigating how one of the town's most iconic trees might be saved. And it is likely to remain closed for some time.
The huge 20m Moreton Bay fig tree growing outside the HeritageNew Zealand-listed Russell police station, believed to have been planted in 1870, has been in declining health for several years. It has lost significant foliage, and in 2017 the Far North District Council removed a number of dead and dying limbs.
An arborist had told the council that the most likely cause of the tree's decline was the weight of vehicles compacting the soil and starving the tree of moisture and nutrients. He believed that without intervention the tree was likely to die.
Fifty metres of the road has now been closed so the seal can be lifted to allow an arborist to undertake a thorough investigation of the root system. A representative of Heritage NZ will also be there during the work to ensure any artefacts of historical significance are preserved.
That section of the road will remain closed to traffic until the arborist has completed the investigation and reported back to the council.
FNDC general manager infrastructure and asset management Andy Finch said the arborist's report would determine what action would be taken to save the tree.
"Almost certainly we will have to remove compacted material from around the roots," he said, "but until we get a better understanding of how badly damaged the root system is it is impossible to say how or if we can protect the tree from further damage."
No businesses or residences would be affected by the road closure, all being accessible via York St or from the boat ramp end of The Strand.
Traffic management and signs will be in place throughout the road closure, and a letter explaining the work has been delivered to businesses and others who might be affected.
