Redland City Council has reviewed its tree management practices to help reduce the impacts of severe weather events, following lessons learned from North Queensland councils hit by cyclones and tropical storms.
The report, set to be tabled for the November 12 General Meeting, finalises a request from Councillor Jason Colley for benchmarking with other local governments on vegetation policies that mitigate storm damage.
The benchmarking project, titled Benchmarking with Northern Queensland Councils on Vegetation Policies and Practices for Extreme Weather Events, stemmed from Council Resolution 2025/84 in April.
The resolution called for Parks and Conservation officers to engage with their counterparts in North Queensland to gain insights into tree and vegetation management strategies designed to minimise the impacts of extreme weather, and to report back on how these learnings could be applied locally.
A Councillor briefing was held on June 16, 2025 to present preliminary findings, including updates on Redland’s Tropical Cyclone Alfred (TC Alfred) procedures, the roles of energy providers in vegetation management, and a proposed proactive tree maintenance pilot in Cleveland.
Parks and Conservation Service Manager David Katavic said council officers had spoken with several North Queensland councils to understand their approaches to tree management before, during and after extreme weather.
“While Redlands Coast already has robust tree management policies, the benchmarking exercise highlighted opportunities to further strengthen preparation and response strategies,” he said.
The review found that Redland City Council already leads in areas such as its agreement with Energex to manage vegetation near powerlines and its formal response arrangements with contractors during severe weather.
However, none of the councils examined – including Redland – currently have dedicated tree management preparation strategies to minimise storm damage before an event.
Council’s analysis of damage from Tropical Cyclone Alfred revealed that the main cause of major tree failures was root plate rotation due to waterlogged soil and strong winds.
Only one damage claim was received for a managed tree, out of 285 under formal assessment, while 88 claims citywide were mostly for fence damage.
Council data also showed a significant workload, with 2,737 tree-related work requests logged in May 2025, including 1,608 awaiting field assessment and 1,129 pending completion.
A pilot proactive tree maintenance program in Cleveland has already inspected and pruned 3,597 of the suburb’s 5,856 street trees, with an annual $470,000 budget to cover 6,800 inspections.
Council plans to continue using its cloud-based Forestree software to capture data on street trees, including their height and proximity to powerlines, and to ensure unsuitable species are not planted near electrical infrastructure.
Future steps include expanding proactive maintenance across the mainland and islands, removing inappropriate street trees, and considering stronger planting guidelines for developers under the City Plan.
Mr Katavic said effective tree management required balancing safety with environmental and social benefits.
“Trees play a vital role in stabilising soil, protecting biodiversity and reducing wind speeds at ground level,” he said.
“They’re also an important part of community wellbeing and resilience after disasters.”
Council has recommended noting the report as the final response to the April resolution on benchmarking vegetation policies with North Queensland councils.
