Council crews transplant rare trees
Date published: 5 November 2019
Townsville City Council is preparing to move five rare dwarf Malay coconut palms from a footpath outside The Palmetum’s gardens.
Department of Transport and Main Roads is installing a concrete footpath in the area, however the palms will be preserved and moved to the wet savannah zone near the avenue of weeping cabbage palms.
Community Health and Environment chairperson Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney said the process was a few months in the making.
“A vac truck was used to create a trench around the five palm trees a few months ago. The team is going to gently pop the trees out and transport them using a bobcat,” Cr Greaney said.
“Once they’re transplanted, they’ll be able to be viewed by visitors.”
Local councillor Verena Coombe said preserving these trees was important to The Palmetum.
“The idea to bring the dwarf Malay coconut palms to The Palmetum came from Council worker Nimal Jayasinghe, who was originally from Sri Lanka,” Cr Coombe said.
“In the late 1990s, the seedlings were imported and spent a year growing in the CSIRO’s quarantine glasshouse before being transplanted out the front of The Palmetum.
“A lot of effort went into procuring these rare trees, and so Council is committed to keeping them alive and healthy for many more people to enjoy.”
The works to move the trees will run from 3am to midday this Wednesday, 6 November.
