ICC tree falls on mercifully empty cars

A giant Invercargill City Council tree crashed on to parked cars yesterday morning and councillors at the scene were quick to say an audit was needed for public safety.

It was sheer luck nobody was hurt, councillors Lindsay Thomas and Ian Pottinger said as the tree branches were being cut from about six cars parked on the south side of Victoria Ave, between Dee and Kelvin streets.

Other trees on the council reserve would be cut down, and quickly, the councillors said.

And there would need to be answers to wider questions about about their most recent assessments made of their state.

‘‘We will be looking for a full audit,’’ Cr Thomas said.

The wind in recent days has been easterly – conditions that have been known to cause damage in a province where trees grew in face of prevailing westerlies.

The parking spaces were mainly used by workers in the area: ‘‘Imagine if it had been earlier, at 8 or 8.30, when people were parking their cars?’’ Cr Thomas said.

Two owners were counting their blessings as they balefully watched their vehicles being cut from under the branches.

One said he parked there every day and – indicating nearby stumps – added: ‘‘To be fair they (the council) have been bringing them down over the past, probably six, months.’’

Added the other: ‘‘They’ve got one less to bring down now.’’

‘‘Good luck with your new car,’’ one passerby called out, cheerfully.

Council parks department planning and administration manager Heather Guise, also at the scene, acknowledged ‘‘we are really lucky that no one has been hurt’’. ‘‘We’re assessing trees on a regular basis (but) this was not anticipated at all.’’

The council yesterday announced the stand of seven trees will now be urgently removed in the city’s green belt.

Acting parks manager Michele Frey, in a statement, said motorists were advised to avoid the area of Kelvin and Gala streets and Victoria Ave, as the remaining trees in that stand were being urgently removed. It was expected the work might take until about 8pm, Frey said.

ROBYN EDIE/ STUFF One of the old pine trees on the Invercargill City reserve on Victoria Ave fell yesterday morning onto a row of parked cars, damaging about six vehicles.