Sixty trees have been earmarked for removal from Armidale's MacDonald Park.
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The park is one of four locations across the shire identified for the removal of 90 mature trees that are posing a significant safety risk to road users, property and pedestrians.
A statement from Armidale Regional Council said our region, particularly our streetscapes and parks, boasted one of the largest and diverse urban forests that provided all-year-round beauty and shade in the summer months.
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"But with that beauty comes the challenges of managing ageing trees that have either succumbed to disease or have reached the end of their natural life," the council's statement said.
Work has already started in MacDonald Park, where the council said 60 trees were either already dead or dying.
General Manager James Roncon said it was unfortunate these trees have to be removed but he said the safety of the community and road users must come first.
"A number of trees in some of these locations have already fallen causing damage to powerlines. Thankfully no one was hurt but it could have easily been a different story," he said.
"Managing an extensive and ageing urban forest like ours is a cycle of removing trees and replanting every year. In our case many of the street trees were planted in the 50s and 60s and are starting to show their age or feel the effects of decay and disease."
During the next two months the community will start seeing some of these trees being removed.
As well as MacDonald Park, other locations where trees will be removed are Uralla Road - adjacent to New England Girls' School Removal - where 11 Silver Poplars will be cut down, while another 19 Silver Poplars will be removed from Kentucky Street, adjacent to the old Armidale Teachers' College.
For more Poplar trees will be removed from beside the New England Highwayat Black Mountain.
"We don't like it any more than you do, but rest assured we will be replanting with introduced species better suited to the location," Mr Roncon said.
"The nursery industry is still catching up due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
"Replacement stock that is available will be replanted during the winter months when it is more suitable for establishing trees and have been selected for their adaptability to the Armidale region climate and for their autumn colour," he said.
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