Cyclone Damage Assessment, Tree Location Mapping, Management Plan
Project Background: Cyclone Marcia devastated the coastal regions of Queensland in 2015. Rockhampton Regional Council had significant damage throughout the region including the Botanic Gardens. Arbor Australis Consulting was engaged to survey the damage and provide a strategic plan to retain as much of the botanical collection as possible.
Issues: Consideration needed to be given to both above and below ground structure. The assessment included looking of partially failed trees that may be an issue in the future. The strategic plan needed to consider some alternative pruning and ongoing management to retain as much of the assets as possible.
Outcome: The tree assessment was carried out and provided as a live web-based map to allow council officers to locate trees identified for remedial works. The strategic plan provided the direction to address the immediate issues and ongoing pruning strategies to manage tree structure.
