removal of camphor laurel

Dont .
why did you buy the house if you dont appreciate the tree.?

Originally Posted by Toyboy

Can 'Roundup' be detected? I reckon that by the time the tree died, it would be difficult, if not impossible to detect.
Use the stuff neat around the root area which is usually out at the perimeter of the foliage. Bore deep holes and insert some pvc pipe as deeply as possible, and then trim them off at ground level. The leaves will hide the holes. Dig the pipes up later on and presto.
Yes, they are a declared noxious weed in most states and the timber is great for all sorts of projects.
I'll probably be shot for this response.

No you wont get shot, round up needs to be applied to the green stuff not bark and roots, unless you apply it to recently cut wood. You'd probably just promote its growth, unless you include some sump oil, tree killer, acid, copper nails driven into the bark nothing like an alternative.

I live in NSW Northern Rivers and they are a real weed here. I poisoned a few on the boundary of my plantation by drilling a 3/4'' hole to the depth of the bit in the trunk below each branch and pouring 1 part roundup to 8 parts water in each hole. The diluted roundup penetrates a lot easier. It killed the trees quite quickly and completly. The only problem is that I did not cut them down and about 4 years later the trees are slowly rotting and large branches regularly fall to the ground. The original bore holes are still evident so if you used that method the local Council inspectors would be able to tell that the tree did not die of natural causes.

thanks everyone

i'm ok with removing the tree once we get permission - it is just the getting permission that is proving a challenge - we'll keep on

You may need to talk to a solicitor for the exact wording but your appeal should detail the fact that it is pushing up the council footpath (and you will not be held liable for costs to repair damage) and the expanding girth has destroyed the boundary fence (maybe you need to get the neighbours to include a statement if it affects the boundary) as you can be held liable for damage to the fence if it is shared.

fanx Aussieorchid

in the throws of pulling the letter together as we speak complete with photos - apart from the physical damage the tree is causing i'm keen from a reveg perspective as would like to get a few local endemics growing in the backyard

will keep you posted (although could be a while)

fanx again

What council is that?

I hope I don't have a problem later this year when I want to cut down a massive Camphor Laurel tree from a front yard.

I bought a place in Sutherland Shire Council and called them before buying and they said it would be ok to cut it down, no application needed.

Hoping they don't change their minds.


Does anybody know how much it would cost to cut down such a tree, about 800mm trunk maybe 20m high?

What happens to the wood?

Bugger, I knew we forgot to do something when we cut down those 60'+ high trees in our backyard a few years back

oh, two votes for Melbourne

hi Juliussee

in amongst trying to work out votes for melbourne or canberra will give a response to your question - in some council areas you can cut to your camphor's content as they are noxious - so that is what sutherland sounds like - whereas for us in the inner west of sydney they are not so we need the approvals

regards cost - cheapest quote we got was just over $4k (we have one mighty big tree) and that was over 12months ago when we started seeking approvals - they ranged up to over $7k

hope this helps

Joister,

$7k to cut down a tree !!!
That is alot of money, how big is it?
Is it because of buildings close by and difficult access?

Does anybody want to cut my tree for free, it's in Miranda.....

Hi Wheelinround,

I just drove past the house today to take another look at the tree.
It's actually more like 1.0m in diameter, even wider higher up the trunk where it splits into about 4 or 5 branches going almost vertically.
The tree would be about 15-20m high. There are a few powerlines around which only the extremeties of the branches reach.
The tree is directly in te middle of a 55 ft wide block between the streer gutter and the front of the house.

Can post a pic if you want.

I'm going to need to cut this down once my development gets approved, hopefully not much more than a few months.


Thanks

Originally Posted by juliussee

Hi Wheelinround,

I just drove past the house today to take another look at the tree.
It's actually more like 1.0m in diameter, even wider higher up the trunk where it splits into about 4 or 5 branches going almost vertically.
The tree would be about 15-20m high. There are a few powerlines around which only the extremeties of the branches reach.
The tree is directly in te middle of a 55 ft wide block between the streer gutter and the front of the house.

Can post a pic if you want.

http://www.camphorlaurel.com/

57 reasons camphors must go

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just to keep you updated - appeal failed and so back to preparing our next appeal

apparently all our reasons failed - i.e. causing unlevel surfaces in both our and neighbours properties (i.e. pushing up paths - it is also pushing up council pavement which adjoins our place to such a degree that the engineers came to spray the raised areas yellow as a warning for pedestrians), a girth growing so large it is now into our neighbours property and taking the fence with it, keen as keen to start a native landscape garden, rain of pollen during spring such that can't use outside, etc....

the only way council would allow removal would be if the tree was causing structural damage to a dwelling

anyways we'll see what other avenues are available to us - will keep you updated but if anyone has any ideas would love to hear from you

Originally Posted by Joister

just to keep you updated - appeal failed and so back to preparing our next appeal
. . .
the only way council would allow removal would be if the tree was causing structural damage to a dwelling

I can see the cracks forming in your footings from here and I am sure an engineer or certifier would confirm by inspection.

at this stage that's the only thing it's not doing oldbloss (thankfully) - although i've just finished underpinning one of the walls and there sure were alot of tree roots when i dug out the footings - if only i could test if it was camphor

Maybe a rampant 7 tonne back hoe could accidently knock it down that's what happen in my front lawn . And it is now bare and ready for the retainning wall .

whats your access like it was a lots cheaper to use a very large back hoe than to get a tree lopper in to remove the two big trees and about seven stumps i had in the front area.
Maybe something to consider when you get approval .

Best of luck

Couple of other issues with CL's are : every seed it drops will grow into a new tree. And the caterpiller infestations that come from these trees.

Have you considered the damage that these trees may be doing to your sewerage pipes? Any underground easements in the vicinity?

Originally Posted by rod1949

Couple of other issues with CL's are : every seed it drops will grow into a new tree. And the caterpiller infestations that come from these trees.

With the above I maybe thinking of another tree, the Cape Lilac which has fine leaves, purple flowers and millions of yellow seeds. But it has beautiful timber.

thanks for your comments everyone

at this stage we're still failing in our attempts although we've managed to increase canopy removal to 20% (10% of which happend in a huge wind storm we had a few weeks back - there were some big limbs coming down)

we've had an arborist look at it and he said it's a great specimen (thanks) - actually it's a very very big nice specimen (thanks again) - he was quite impressed

the roots running through and under the footings were identified as camphor roots but again council are not interested as it is not causing any visible damage (thanks claw hama - it had that smell you were talking about)

regards power lines - yes, they are close but council and energy mob are happy to leave it till next pruning

so i guess it is a regroup before we go at it again - not quite sure how we're going to get our support posts (for the fence) through a backyard of roots but will be a fun challenge

till then guess we'll just enjoy it's shade through summer and will still try our best to get some edemic natives growing underneath - at least that way if we succedd we have some advantaged natives to take it's place

will keep you posted

thanks again everyone