Dean Sutherland Tree Care team leader

There are only five of us on the Tree Crew. We cover the whole of Orange, Spring Hill, Lucknow, Clifton Grove and Ammerdown; and all the rural roads too. On a typical day we are answering requests, such as removing dangerous limbs, and making the trees safe. We also do replanting. I drive through the new areas and write down existing species which are normally drought tolerant. The trees which are not surviving at present, because of the drought, are Silver Birches (Betula pendula), Claret Ash (Fraxinus 'Raywood'), Willows (Salix sp.) and Poplars (Populus sp.). Sometimes we replace with the same species. On a road shoulder we plant big trees that handle the road such as Planes (Platanus sp.), Elms (Ulmus sp.), Oaks (Quercus sp.), Liquidamber (Liquidamber sp.), Maples (Acer sp.), and Mop Top (Robina sp.).

	Dean has been working for Council for 25 years. He did his apprenticeship in parks and gardens, and further training in horticulture, arboriculture and bush regeneration.
Image courtesy: Elisabeth Edwards

You've got to look at maintenance as well. I'm going for trees that are more upright and not broad. Any trees that come out now I'm looking at doing the pencil pine look. We're looking at variations that can do that, such as Crabapples (Malus sp.), Ornamental Pears (Pyrus sp.) and Plums (Prunus sp.).