Towering tree gets a trim

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
VICTORIA’s biggest tree has reopened to the public after a successful haircut.
The 70-metre tall “Ada Tree”, near Powelltown in the Yarra State Forest, has been closed to the public for a month so the tree could be pruned and the boardwalk rebuilt.
Department of Sustainability and Environment forest manager Venloe Scott said the pruning was a massive, but necessary, undertaking.
“This is the first time ever the tree has been pruned and also the first time someone has been up the tree to assess its health,” Ms Scott said.
She said a team of arborists used ropes and harnesses to scale the massive tree.
“For a 400-year-old tree, she is in pretty good shape,” she said.
“The arborists who did the pruning were able to go right to the top of the tree where the top had broken off in a storm.
They reported back that the tree is still solid all the way through and has many years left in her yet.”
Ms Scott said the prune was also a safety measure, after a large branch fell off a few months ago, damaging the boardwalk.
“The arborists did a light prune of the branches and removed invasive mistletoe which will improve the health and vigour of the tree ensuring she can be enjoyed by further generations.
“The boardwalk is now replaced and the Ada Tree once again is open for the public to enjoy.”
The Ada Tree is an easy 1.6km walk from the Ada River Road Carpark, which is about a 30-minute drive from Powelltown.