Three-tree on chopping block

A TEWANTIN landmark is set to head for the chopping block after council announced it’s time to go.
Council announced work will commence shortly to remove the well-known “three-tree”, a fixture of the Tewantin landscape, due to a root-rotting fungal disease.
Council’s Parks and Natural Areas co-ordinator Sara Cooke said independent experts had inspected the three-in-one tree and have diagnosed the tree as being infected with a root-rotting fungal disease from which it cannot recover.
The three-in-one tree, comprising a redgum, a fig and a tuckeroo, sits next to the Royal Mail Hotel in Diyan Street and has been pronounced “nearly dead” and “dangerous” by the independent experts.
Work will commence shortly to remove the tree, and council assures all precautions to protect pedestrians and motorists will be taken during the removal, including potential road closures in the immediate area.
“The tree will be removed section by section, taken away and burnt to ensure the disease doesn’t spread to other trees,” Ms Cooke said.
The tree has become home to a number of birds that council says will be sensitively relocated as part of the tree removal process.
Council has been installing new nest boxes in nearby parks to provide attractive new homes for the displaced birds.
Council said many efforts had been made over the years to make the tree safe, but all options had now been exhausted.