Aer reading Lyndal Plant's paper about structural soil used along Adelaide Street
Boulevard in Brisbane more than 20 years ago, I rang her to get more details and
insight on that project and on tree trials that were planted in 2001-2004. I've learned
a lot from Treenet about Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), like techniques for
using kerb [curb] water to irrigate street trees. And before we embarked on a new
set of tree trials in 2022-2023, I reached out to neighboring local government areas
like the Sunshine Coast Council to find out what's been working for them. Last year
we surveyed a suburb planted with novel tree species—those new to our palette or
hard to source in the nursery trade. We uploaded that data to the Treenet Urban Tree
Trials Database and hope it will be useful to others.
—Russell Tomlin, Brisbane City Council Principal Arborist
From the pea family (Fabaceae), this trial golden
crown (Barklya syringifolia) in Brisbane City Council's
Sherwood Arboretum is showing promise as a tough
tree for use under utility wires. Courtesy BCC
Native to both subtropical and dry rainforests of New South
Wales and Queensland, hard quandong (Elaeocarpus obovatus)
tolerates a wide range of challenging soil conditions. Courtesy BCC
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