Service Spotlight: Mountain ash to moonahs, Gus loves his beat
Ask Council’s Inspecting Arborist Gus Cullenward what he loves about his job, and there’s no mistaking his passion.
“Well, trees – what’s not to love about trees?” Gus says.
“I love the fact that my role takes me everywhere in the shire, every single corner.
“From places down the back of Benwerrin and Pennyroyal people don’t even think about, all through the Otways across to some of the big mountain ash down there, over to the magnificent redgums near Winchelsea, back to the moonah woodlands around Torquay and then the ironbarks through Aireys Inlet and Anglesea.
“I get to drive every single road and go to inspect trees and vegetation in every single part of the shire, and it’s a pretty good job.”
Public safety, plant health
Gus’s role is principally about proactive inspections, evaluating vegetation across the shire for public safety and plant health and potential attention by Council’s Vegetation Maintenance Crew.
“That includes the Road Management Plan, inspecting roads for encroachments, hazard trees and line of sight issues. The Tree Risk Management Plan takes in every facility and every reserve and pretty much every tree within our area,” Gus says.
His brief also takes in fire prevention work, electrical line clearance work, roadside grass slashing and providing arboricultural advice to a range of Council departments including planning, engineering and environment.
“We’re not in the business of removing trees unless we absolutely have to, and we’re working mainly around risk,” Gus says.
“We also try and program a lot of habitat pruning, which is rather than removing the whole tree we might remove the longer limbs and prune a tree back to sound wood so there’s still habitat for birds and possums and all kinds of things.
“And in certain nature reserves we might remove the tree and leave the wood on the ground because things will live in it.”
Some concerns
Illegal poisoning and / or removal of trees and vegetation is one of his major ongoing concerns.
Investigations of cases can result in court prosecution with convictions and significant fines for offenders
“And another thing we’re struggling with a bit at the moment is the climate and decline of trees, particularly during these past two years of dry weather,” Gus says.
The big question
With Gus’s love of trees made clear one big question begs an answer – can he name a favourite?
Following a big intake of breath and thoughtful pause, he makes his call.
“I’m going to say a lemon scented gum, just for the shape and form and the smell of the leaves. They’re a magnificent tree.”