On Friday, it was announced that the Central Courtyard would be closing until further notice due to safety reasons. Buildings around the Courtyard remain open and lectures, classes and business activities are continuing as normal.
The decision to close the Central Courtyard follows advice that the age, type, location and microclimate of the trees there make falling branches a significant risk. This risk is heightened during and following storms.
We do not have a date yet on when the courtyard will re-open. Thank you for your understanding as we undertake important safety works.
Update from the Property Team
Thank you for your comments below. Our top priority is always the duty of care we have to our staff, students and visitors on campus. There was an imminent concern given the predicted weather over the past weekend, but the threat of falling branches remains and the area will be closed until further notice.
As part of the Campus Development Plan, works on the Central Courtyard will begin later this year. We are still finalising plans and will share details about the project including removal of trees in the 7 November edition of This Week. Rest assured, green spaces will continue to be a strong feature of our campus.
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Hey! Absolutely right decision the Central Courtyard would be closed until further notice due to safety reasons.
http://www.dubaionepalm.com/
Hello,Can you get someone to remove the fallen down tree near the Metro station ?
To imagine that there were 120 high-risk trees in the one location in Australia is inconceivable. Trees kill an average of 5 people a year in Australia (http://tinyurl.com/y7lepzhd) and most of these are in peri-urban and rural areas. With the average tree in and adjacent to areas of high urban use posing a risk of mortality of 1 in 10,000,000 (http://tinyurl.com/yawb3lqx) or less. The likelihood of even one of these trees posing a significant risk was fairly low. A more scientific and academic approach to risk assessment and asset management would be prudent. I am sure that those involved in the decision making were sincere in their approach but this does not make the decision correct.
The removal of the trees is imminent and we are suddenly seeing signage about risk from falling branches and being told about microclimates. Replanting does not make up for the loss of food, habitat, shelter and territory these trees currently provide, especially to insects, birds and bats during flowering. One only has to experience the biophony during these flowering events to understand how important these trees are to local wildlife. For many years there was grass under these trees. The idea to cement the entire area contributed to not only raising the temperature and putting stress on the trees but creating an ugly space. Too many large and established trees have been lost at Macquarie in recent years, and along with it the animals that have depended on them. What set Macquarie apart from Sydney’s other universities was the green space and beautiful trees, with accompanying parrots and possums. When you replant, please, talk to Macquarie biologists about what is best to plant and how to maintain the area. Consider the trees and the animals that occur in the local area. Think long-term and remember that trees don’t exist in isolation, especially when mature. I will be very sad to see these trees go and I hope that the wood will be effectively used elsewhere and wildlife carers will be immediately notified of any orphaned or injured animals. Our established trees are valued by many, and can not be adequately replaced by saplings when they are removed.
Thank you for your comments. Our top priority is always the duty of care we have to our staff, students and visitors on campus. There was an imminent concern given the predicted weather over the past weekend, but the threat of falling branches remains and the area will be closed until further notice.
As part of the Campus Development Plan, works on the Central Courtyard will begin later this year. We are still finalising plans and will share details about the project including removal of trees in the 7 November edition of This Week. Rest assured, green spaces will continue to be a strong feature of our campus.
I sympathise with the arguments about trees, wildlife etc but this is a highly unnatural stand of trees that are growing in a monoculture at high density and thus are structurally unsound in my view as a plant biologist. I think that an imaginative new planting would be in order – but maybe with the surface of the courtyard re-considered. A gray, hot surface is not conducive healthy root systems and some exposed soil in beds would provide an aesthetic improvement and healthier biological environment.
And then in 40 years they will knock them down. Do a conservation offset.
These Euc species live to be hundreds of years old and as they get older, support more diverse wildlife. Sure the odd branch falls off, but then the tree forms hollows for breeding possums and parrots. Large old flowering trees also attract more insects and honeyeating birds than thin small trees.
Replacing with saplings means it is another 40-50 years before the replacement trees get to the stage they are now – and guess what – the buildings and grounds staff will remove these ones too if current policy is followed.
Sure do a tree planting – but maybe do it on a property that the campus has purchased out in the bush as a conservation offset, because in the end the new planted trees are going to be knocked down.
From a “leafy campus” to concrete jungle. The story of a humble university that once dreamt of “world-leading research for world-changing impact” before being surrounded by carparks to host more and more private companies…
I hope this isn’t a cover-up for a tree removal project. We’ve lost more than enough significant trees from the campus over the last few years.
I was a bit surprised to see the claim in Friday’s email that the Courtyard was being closed because of concerns over predicted storms – the Bureau of Meteorology wasn’t predicting any storms and I’m pretty sure that the “microclimate” (really?) of the Courtyard doesn’t extend to creating its own storm activity.
This reminds me of Ryde Council some years back claiming that they had to remove trees on North Ryde Common because they were “dangerous” in storms. Before they had the chance to do it, a massive storm came through. Not one branch or tree on the Common fell. Not. One. Plenty of trees came down around Ryde and North Ryde, but not those on the Common that had been solemnly declared so dangerous.
Yes, I get it, gum trees do drop limbs and can be dangerous – but I am deeply suspicious about the closure of the Courtyard and dire warnings about trees just before the redevelopment of the Hub building commences. That’s how we lost all the trees around what’s now the Library – they were cleared to make a driveway for trucks and were never restored. Is the same thing going to happen to our Courtyard legion of lemon-scented gums?
I might add that one really precious tree that was knocked down to make a driveway for the Library construction was an olive tree dating from the site’s farm days, and from which a branch was sent to a former VC as a symbolic gesture during a very bitter industrial dispute. The olive tree was replaced after the Library was completed but then ripped up again because it didn’t fit the vision of some ignorant-of-history designer who had a “plan” for planting only certain native trees. I love native trees but I loved that olive tree too. I’m still upset about that one.
How about we just tell people to be sensible and not venture out under the trees during a storm or high winds? If necessary, close the Courtyard when the weather really is a problem.
Agree Cathy. I’ve suggested a tree planting event somewhere on this vast campus – so that we can be involved in the planting of new trees for every tree that is currently being ripped out. FOA building has lost all its beautiful established trees. I get that they have to go while the building gets a refurb – but some of us are skeptical about the replanting which is more about aesthetics than providing a sanctuary and arboreal diversity.
Hi Cathy
You took the words out of my mouth. Considering how poorly handled the C10A closure has been conducted, it seems very suspicious to me that there is a sudden, imminent threat from these trees within the same timeframe as the buildings closure.
Is this really just some smoke and dust to justify ridding the courtyard of its soldiers to make way for more glass boxes?