Willow Tree Removal from the Murrumbidgee River for Wagga Wagga City Council

In August of 2009 Plateau Tree Service submitted a tree romoval  tender proposal to Wagga Wagga City Council for the removal of Willow and other Exotic trees on the Murrumbidgee River at Wagga Wagga. Wagga Wagga City Council contacted Plateau Tree Service in late September to advise us that we had been the successful tenderer.

Our proposal was to utilise our excavators and experienced tree fellers to fell and successively stockpile all of the Willow Trees requiring removal prior to grinding all of the material with our Diamond Z Horizontal shredder. Due to the location of the works in a riparian zone, the potential for adverse environmental impacts was high and in order to control those risks Plateau Tree Service developed a site specific Environmental Management Plan based on our Environmental Management System which is accreddited to theISO14001 Standard. As the works involved the use of excavators working in close proximity to team members felling trees,   the work was considered high risk. A  specific safety management plan was created to control the risks and ensure that all of our staff and visitors to the site remained safe.

Site Specific Environmental Control Measures included  the use of floating booms to control any material that might accidentally enter the river while works were underway and the use of a small punt to remove any material that might slip past the floating boom. In order to lessen the potential disturbance to the river banks, our excavator utilised a 20 ton winch attached to the dipper arm to pull material back from the river edge without disturbing fragile river banks.

The Plateau Tree Service team completed the project including the grinding and transport of the mulched material to nominated stockpile areas in one month without any environmental or safety incidents. Wagga Wagga City Council Project Manager, David Read was pleased with the results of the project. Theteam from Wagga Wagga City Council are now able to start the process of re-vegetating and re-meadiating the cleared areas.

All images courtesy of Wagga Wagga Council reproduced with permission.

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Botham Beach Tree Removal by Barge

 

 

Following a major destructive thunderstorm affecting Bayview and Church Point Mid November 2009, Plateau Tree Service were contacted by Pittwater Council to assist in the removal of trees left in a highly hazardous state by the storm.  Plateau Tree Service provided a tree removal crew on a full time basis for well over a week just to deal with the sheer volume of material left on roadsides and all of the hazardous trees adjacent to road carriageways in the affected areas.

 

Pittwater Council requested further assistance to remove storm damaged and hazardous trees at Botham Beach Reserve on McCarrs Creek Road at Church Point.  Several very large trees had become unstable and were severely damaged by the storm, these trees needed to be removed to ensure the safety of the public.  Unfortunately the site was all but inaccessible from the road above the site.

 

In order to overcome the access issues and to ensure that all of the material could be removed from site at the time of the works Travis Hazleton (Plateau Tree Service Pittwater Council Contracts Manager) decided to utilise a large barge to act as a works platform for one of our trucks and chippers to complete the works.  Miss Piggy barges were selected as our barge contractors and on the day of the works our truck rolled onto the barge at 7am.  After a short barge trip around the point the works crew working on the beach linked up with the barge crew and operations commenced running smoothly and with much assistance from the 8ton HIAB Crane arm on the barge.  With the expertise of Plateau Tree’s experienced  arborists and tree removal crew, this logistically challenging project was completed on time and as per our quotation. The team at Pittwater Council was extremely pleased with the results.

 

                                                                                                                                                             

 

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The project was completed for "A Major Infrastructure Organisation".

Works were completed over the weekend of the 7th and 8th of November 2009.

Details of works included:

• Total of 258 trees removed.
• A total of 225 lifts were performed over the weekend at an average weight of 800kg per lift.
• This was approx 180 tonnes of timber removed from 3 cuttings.
• Approx 450 cubic metres of chip were processed at the chipping site. This was approx 1 x 18 cubic metre truck load every 45 minutes.

The infrastructure organisation were extremely happy with the results and stated that Plateau Tree Service had "Set a new benchmark".




 

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The Client Problem:
In October, 2008 Downer EDI Works were awarded the NSW RTA PSMC contract for the maintenance of all RTA roads and associated assets in the Northern Region of Sydney. A crucial element to this contract, was the audit of current condition of RTA assets and provision of reports outlining works required to bring the network into compliance to meet the specifications.  Downer  Edi had a short time frame to deliver the audio reports and limited staff with expertise in vegetation management. Their major concern with the accurate delivery of this report in the timeframe provided.

The Solution:
Plateau Tree Service provided audition crews to scope all vegetation management issues across the NSW RTA PSMC contract network area.  With 3 teams of 2 person audit staff, Plateau Tree Service was able to complete a total vegetation management audit of the network area in less than one month, ensuring the deadline set by the NSW RTA would be met. Using digital cameras combined with GPS, the highly skilled Plateau Tree crews were able to provide the relevant audit information in a clear, easy to understand and concise manner. 

Area scoped for auditing.

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After a year of travelling and working in the UK, Stuart Cannell has returned to take up the role of General Manager, Plateau Tree Service. Stuart has over 20 years expertise in the tree and vegetation management industries and in his most recent role at Fountains (the UK’s leading vegetation management company) as Contracts Manager Rail, he further developed his skills in the industry.

Over the previous six years at Plateau, Stuart has overseen many major projects including the proactive and reactive tree management contracts for local and state government and major corporate projects such as the Cronulla Line Duplication for the John Holland Group.

Tony Plummer, Managing Director of Plateau said, “We welcome Stuart back to Australia and to Plateau Tree Service. Stuart’s level of experience and knowledge of our industry will help to strengthen our commitment to quality service , best practice tree management and environmental sustainability.”

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The Client

In 2008, VEMCO contracted Plateau Tree Service to assist with Victorian Government’s Sugarloaf Pipeline project. This company required our services to meet their project deadlines for vegetation clearing. The project was located in the area  that was devastated by the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires.

The Solution

VEMCO are one of the largest companies in Australia providing comprehensive vegetation risk management. The company was contracted by the projects successful contractor, John Holland Group, to carry out the de-vegetation works required by Victorian Water for the Sugarloaf Project. This is a major pipeline connecting the Goulburn River system with Melbourne’s water supply. The initial projection date to deliver the pipeline carrying 75 billion litres of water to Melbourne was 2010.

Plateau Tree Service assisted with the land clearing and green waste processing for this major project. Potential impacts on flora, fauna, waterways, land use and other related issue had to be considered during the design of the corridor for the pipeline.

Plateau Tree Service completed the bulk of the processing works just prior to the Victorian bush fires.

Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires

Plateau had almost completed the  processing works  at the time of Victorian bush fires.  Plateau Tree Service crews were working only a few kilometers from the areas that suffered massive devastation. All crews were evacuated safely from the area. Despite the fact that equipment was parked in an 80metre wide clearing, a  company owned Komatsu Excavator was destroyed. Luckily, other company equipment suffered only minor damage.

Post Fire Clean Up Project

Plateau Tree Service was mobilized on behalf of VEMCO and the Victorian Government to assist in the clean up and removal of hazardous trees and wood waste in the bush fire affected areas. This clean up produced enormous stockpiles of vegetation and wood waste which then needed to be processed. 
 
Work processing from the cleanup will continue to end August 2009. Plateau Tree Service has been contracted by VEMCO to return to Victoria to continue the processing works and the mulch that resulted from the processing will be utilised in the regeneration of fire ravashed landscapes and municipal gardens. Plateau is proud to have been involved with the renewal of the bush fire damaged area.

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The Client

In June 2009, Plateau Tree Service required the servicdes of an experienced contractor to upgrade and restore an area of land in Marsfield as Council did not have the expertise or equipment to complete the works in house. After providing a competitive quotation for the works, Plateau Tree Service was commissioned by Ryde Council to carry out restoration works at  the dead end of Pembroke Rd in Marsfield.  The area that required upgrading connects to a popular walking track and was in need of restoration to create a picnic and rest area and to reinstate the fire trail that forms the access to the site.

The Solution

The site in question was an open area at the rear of the electrical substation. Works included  utilizing crushed sandstone for the stabilisation and remediation of the fire trail leading to the site, creating a berm or swale for re-vegetation with endemic plant species, raising the level of an existing open area and the finally the supply and installation of 120m3 of mulch across the site.

The majority of the works on this site were carried out utilising a 20 ton Excavator combined with a bogie truck to move the crushed sandstone into the areas of the site where works were required. An excavator operator constructed a number of swales along the main fire trail in order to move ground water off the  surface of the fire trail. Despite utilising a large excavator the operators were able to carry out the works without causing any damage to surrounding areas or vegetation to be retained and protected.

Works were completed on time as quoted. During subsequent visits to the site, it was noted that walkers were utilizing the picnic areas and upgraded access road.

Before

During

After

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The Client

In May 2009, Ku-ring-gai Council required the services of an experienced tree planting contractor to carry our Canopy Replinshement Program which involved the installation of 2,000 trees in a short time period and provision of after planning maintenance services. Based on our pricing of the works and expertise, Ku-ring-gai Council contracted Plateau Tree Service to carry out this major tree planting project. Ku-ring-gai Council has developed the Canopy Replenishment Program over the last 10 years. The process involves the collection of seed from locally endemic tree species. The seed collected is grown into juvenile trees which are then installed into the same areas from which the seed is sourced. Plateau Tree Service has been a major contractor to the council since 2002, roviding tree maintenance and removal services and planting an average of 2,000 trees a year.  

The Solution

Plateau Tree Service planted in excess of 1000 trees in park areas and over 900 in streets in Ku-ring-gai shire.  

Certified aborists and qualified service crews installed tree species that are endemic to the area and which had been grown from locally sourced seed stocks. Tree planting helps to reduce our carbon footprint and the long term impact of the environment of muture tree removal.  Regular tree planting projects with appropriately selected and locally endemic tree species is an important part of best practice urban forest management. Projects such as the Ku-ring-gai project ensure there is a diverse healthy tree canopy for future generations to enjoy and to ensure the livelihood of native habitat is maintained.  

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With the cooler air, now is a great time to invest in your new tree garden or transplanting of trees. The ground will remain warm for some time and with the recent summer rains, the soil will be irrigated and rich ready for new roots. A perfect time to add mulch as well.

Winter time allows the roots of trees to enjoy all the nutrients of the soil and get a firm footing before they start expending energy on growing new branches and leaves in the spring.

With proper placement and the choice of the right tree, you can improve the appearance of any area. Plateau Tree Service is the experts in tree selection, installation and management of your next project.

Plateau Tree Service has been operating for over 25 years and their fully trained arborists can manage any project, large or small. There are many things to consider when planting trees and you need qualified arborists to give you the right information and the expertise to handle the job safely and professionally.

The many factors include; preparation of area such as land clearing, noxious weed control and possible transplanting of existing trees, the right tree for the chosen area, light, shade, the mature size of the tree and future maintenance issues, correct feeding and irrigation and the on-going management of the area.

Plateau Tree Service will survey the area to ensure your new tree garden will prosper for ever. They also take into consideration such issues as overhang on gutters, underground lines, root impact on surrounding site such as pools, fences and other garden beds. Plateau Tree Service provide tree management services to both residential and commercial companies and have all the necessary safety standard and management systems to ensure the project is handled correctly and to industry guidelines. With a vast variety of equipment, no job is too big for Plateau Tree Services.

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Selecting a Tree Contractor

Whether you are a private land owner or a commercial company needing arboricultural services, there are a range of basic qualifications, insurances and safety standards you need to ensure your tree supplier can deliver.

Work undertaken by inappropriately qualified contractors could result in major damage to you or
your neighbour’s property,  injury to people and may even  eave you liable for any costs associated
with this damage.

Qualification & Minimum Safety Standards

WorkCover NSW recommends that for tree work carried out on the ground, a minimum of one
person in the work crew holds the qualification of Certificate II in Horticulture (Arboriculture). All tree climbing work
should be carried out by a person who holds a minimum Certificate II in Horticulture (Arboriculture)
or be undertaking a course to obtain this qualification. All tree climbing work should be directly
supervised by a person with a minimum qualification of Certificate III in Horticulture (Arboriculture). Whenever tree climbing operations are under way a second person on the site must possess an Aerial Rescue qualifiction and a dedicated Aerial Rescue kit must be available on site.

All tree work should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the WorkCover Code of
Practice: Amenity Tree Industry 1998 and Draft Code of Practice Tree Work 2007.

The contractor should be able to explain to you what measures they will be taking to ensure the
safety of people affected by the work, such as neighbours and people walking or driving past
where the work is being carried out.

If the work is being carried out near power lines the contractor must maintain a safe distance from
the power lines or be an “accredited person” to work within what are known as “approach
distances”. If work is being carried out on a tree that is within 3 metres of any power line including
a service line, then the person carrying out the work must be an accredited person who has
completed a recognised course of training and the contractor should be able to explain this to you
and provide evidence of any accreditation of the staff completing the work.

You should obtain a written quote from the contractor that contains the contact details and ABN
of the contractor.

You may also need approval from your local council to prune or remove any trees and your tree service company should advise you of these requirements and assist you with the process.

The contractor should hold a current workers compensation insurance policy for their
employees and a current public liability insurance policy.

These insurance policies provide protection for you in the case of damage being caused to your
property, your neighbour’s property or people being injured while the work is being carried out.

Plateau Tree Service has over 25 years of experience and are the experts in tree service industry. They follow all safety, insurance and council requirements to ensure any project residential or commercial is completed safely and professionally.
For further information email us on info@plateautrees.com.au or telephone (02) 9979 3311

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