Thread: The sad death of a tree

Damn shame.

And so many of our over-mature or fallen trees here in Oz just get woodchipped by the local council.

But it seems to be hard to earn a living salvaging them, blocking them down and on-selling to w/workers.

Hi everyone,

I don't really believe that this tree, due to its significance and symbolism, is going to just be cut to bits and make paper out of it, I can be wrong as I've been wrong before. The question is, how many wood turners, carvers and other wood working people, would pay good money to make/create something out of this timber?. In France alone, is enough people working with special/rare timbers to use double of what this three can produce (usable material). Taking the interest a little further, how many people around the would, including Australia, would pay good money for a nice blank from this tree. The international sales would only have one problem, there is, stop rip-offs from smart "dudes" trying to sell imitation wood as the real thing...! I don't need it but, if I could be guaranteed a cubic foot of clean wood from this exact three, I would easily pay AU$50.00 plus freight! would you?

I would be very interested in follow this story and the end use of this tree, if anyone finds the way to keep track of it!


Like rsser said, a large number of rare/unique and good timbers are wood chipped by councils all around Australia without much people knowing about it. In part, this is not only a procedure but sadly, a culture embedded among council mayors and those working in this area, where the place has to be left "clean" after a quick job (most of the times). In some other occasions, some of the bigger timber were left behind for people to take but, unless that timber is of interest for wood workers or makes good firewood, the timber is just moved around and left there, making the location some times a dangerous hazard for vehicles and people in general.

How many people does make an application and/or an (expression of interest) to their local councils for the use of timbers removed from the council property?. One can not expect the council to stop chipping the timber, unless you offer them a better solution, this mean, collecting the timber yourself from the site. Yard the timber for later collection, doesn't work nor the councils want to waste any of their yard areas for dumping logs. Them we got the problem with "public liability" of non council personnel in council property, either yard or side of the road...! Who is responsible is someone gets hurt while handling these logs (timbers)?, what happen if an accident is caused by the vehicle parked on the side of the road while collecting some timber?. There are so many other variants, believe me, from the legal perspective, thrown at you when one attempts to get better use out of trees councils remove.

The first step would be, contact your council people and let then know that you are interested in some usable timber(provide sizes), from usable trees (provide species), and that you are prepared to collect from the site, before the council mobile team (tree loppers) leaves the site.
Ask them, what is coming down, where and when, be punctual and reliable, you could be surprised...!

Cheers
RBTCO

I tend to agree; the tree is of such historical significance and has the most inglorious provenance to boot. I wouldn't be surprised if souvenir hunters decimate the tree long before the paper mill truck turns up.

Some of that root bowl would be superb

Originally Posted by robutacion

I would be very interested in follow this story and the end use of this tree, if anyone finds the way to keep track of it!
Cheers
RBTCO

Aye, there's the rub. If it is, in fact, chipped for paper pulp, it'll be so widely distributed almost anyone could get away with writing, "printed on paper from ...." Sorry, but my BS meter just redlined.

Otherwise, what everybody said.

Cheers,
Joe

Absolutely criminal

...a lot of beautiful items could have been made from it.

Yeah, absolutely criminal to allow this tree to be chipped for paper...

Where in a bloody hell are the "robutacion's" in that area? Is no way I would let that go for paper milling if I was closer...! parle vous francais? lets go... any takers?

How easy would be to convince the environamentalist, tree huggers, naturalists, greens, blues and reds, that my way was better to the "planet"?

I wouldn't tell them that I burn firewood, tough...!

Cheers
RBTCO