Councillors have baulked at the cost of installing trees in the city’s roundabouts.
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In May, Mayor Bob Kirk signaled his ambition to install a tree in every Goulburn roundabout but met resistance from some of his colleagues. At that time they called for a report on the cost and implications.” That report, tendered to Tuesday night’s council meeting revealed that retrofitting trees at roundabouts with a central concrete median would cost $15,000 to $20,000. In those that were landscaped, the cost was estimated at $6000 to $8000.
Cr Margaret O’Neill moved to defer the work for a fuller costing.
“It’s out there in the public and people have concerns about it,” she said.
She said councillors needed to know exactly how much each tree would cost, the expense of digging into roundabouts and its implications.
The estimates also surprised Cr Kirk.
“I didn’t believe that even putting an advanced tree in a roundabout could cost that amount,” he said.
“I do know after speaking to staff that some of that involves placing the trees and dealing with rose gardens, but I wouldn’t like this considered without us knowing the full extent of costs.”
A further report will come back to councillors. Tuesday’s report detailed six species that might be suitable, including the ‘Fairview Flame and ‘Greenspire.’ It also considered safety.