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Perth Now
20 hours ago
- General
- Perth Now
Hundreds of trees to be chopped down at beloved Perth park
At least 300 trees are set to be cleared from the Hyde Park islands as part of a blitz to eradicate the polyphagous shot-hole borer. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on Wednesday said it was working with the City of Vincent to remove up to 300 host plants — including native and non-WA native trees — from the lake's two islands over the next four to six weeks. DPIRD would not confirm how many infected trees had been removed since works began on May 19. 'The only WA native species on the Hyde Park islands are Melaleuca rhaphiophylla and Eucalyptus rudis,' a spokesperson told The West. 'Other species being removed include eastern states Casuarina spp. Melaleuca spp. and Eucalyptus spp. and non-native woody weeds including Erythrina x sykesii and Ficus sp.' The PSHB — which is native to southeast Asia — is a small beetle which burrows into trees and infects them with a fungus that slowly kills them from the inside. The only way to eradicate the beetle is to remove the infected trees. The only way to eradicate the beetle is to remove the infected trees. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian 'DPIRD is continuing to work in close collaboration with the City of Vincent to manage PSHB in Hyde Park, as part of the nationally funded and coordinated emergency bio-security response,' the spokesperson said. 'PSHB surveillance and management will continue in Hyde Park to protect the high value fig and London plane trees.' Thirteen infested trees at Hyde Park have already been removed, with another 33 pruned to their limit. A further 45 have been treated with insecticides as part of an ongoing chemical trial. Thirteen infested trees at Hyde Park have already been removed, with another 33 pruned to their limit. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian City of Vincent mayor Alison Xamon said she was 'deeply saddened' to hear the beetle had burrowed its way onto the lake's islands. She said the city would plant up to 4000 new plants and mature trees on the lake's islands. 'Losing the tree is the last thing anyone wants to see, but DPIRD have determined this precaution is necessary to stop the borer spreading to other healthy trees at the park,' Ms Xamon told The West. 'Following DPIRD's works, we will be acting quickly on our three-year restoration program which has been formed in partnership with industry experts. She said the city would plant up to 4000 new plants and mature trees on the lake's islands. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian 'About 4000 new plants, that will be resilient to the borer and climate change, will be planted on the islands this winter including mature trees. 'We previously restored the eastern island in 2012, which gives us confidence that our program will see the islands flourish again.' It comes just days after the State Government announced local councils could apply for the first round of its WA Tree Recovery Local Government Grant Program. Councils can receive up to $1140 in funding for each tree that is removed as a result of PSHB, but the City of Vincent is yet to apply for funding. PSHB has been confirmed in more than 80 suburbs across Perth since it was first detected in August 2021.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
At least 300 trees to be cleared from Hyde Park as part of shot-hole borer blitz
At least 300 trees are set to be cleared from the Hyde Park islands as part of a blitz to eradicate the polyphagous shot-hole borer. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on Wednesday said it was working with the City of Vincent to remove up to 300 host plants — including native and non-WA native trees — from the lake's two islands over the next four to six weeks. DPIRD would not confirm how many infected trees had been removed since works began on May 19. 'The only WA native species on the Hyde Park islands are Melaleuca rhaphiophylla and Eucalyptus rudis,' a spokesperson told The West. 'Other species being removed include eastern states Casuarina spp. Melaleuca spp. and Eucalyptus spp. and non-native woody weeds including Erythrina x sykesii and Ficus sp.' The PSHB — which is native to southeast Asia — is a small beetle which burrows into trees and infects them with a fungus that slowly kills them from the inside. The only way to eradicate the beetle is to remove the infected trees. 'DPIRD is continuing to work in close collaboration with the City of Vincent to manage PSHB in Hyde Park, as part of the nationally funded and coordinated emergency bio-security response,' the spokesperson said. 'PSHB surveillance and management will continue in Hyde Park to protect the high value fig and London plane trees.' Thirteen infested trees at Hyde Park have already been removed, with another 33 pruned to their limit. A further 45 have been treated with insecticides as part of an ongoing chemical trial. City of Vincent mayor Alison Xamon said she was 'deeply saddened' to hear the beetle had burrowed its way onto the lake's islands. She said the city would plant up to 4000 new plants and mature trees on the lake's islands. 'Losing the tree is the last thing anyone wants to see, but DPIRD have determined this precaution is necessary to stop the borer spreading to other healthy trees at the park,' Ms Xamon told The West. 'Following DPIRD's works, we will be acting quickly on our three-year restoration program which has been formed in partnership with industry experts. 'About 4000 new plants, that will be resilient to the borer and climate change, will be planted on the islands this winter including mature trees. 'We previously restored the eastern island in 2012, which gives us confidence that our program will see the islands flourish again.' It comes just days after the State Government announced local councils could apply for the first round of its WA Tree Recovery Local Government Grant Program. Councils can receive up to $1140 in funding for each tree that is removed as a result of PSHB, but the City of Vincent is yet to apply for funding. PSHB has been confirmed in more than 80 suburbs across Perth since it was first detected in August 2021.
IOL News
27-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Trees replanted in Newlands amid beetle infestation
Quercus nigra trees (water oaks) are planted in Kildare Circle parking area, which are non-reproductive hosts for PSHB. Image: Supplied Six trees at a Newlands public square have been removed due to a polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) infestation, as the invasive beetle continues to threaten Cape Town's urban forest and agricultural crops, potentially causing R275 billion in economic damage over the next decade if uncontrolled. It is for this reason that Claremont ward councillor, Mikhail Manuel, joined forces with Deputy Mayor and mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, along with other departments and agencies, to carry out a tree planting ceremony on Monday in Newlands, where five quercus nigra trees (water oaks) were planted in the Kildare Circle parking area, which are non-reproductive hosts for the PSHB. Originating in southeast Asia and identified in South Africa in 2017, the PSHB has spread to eight provinces and infests over 100 local tree species. Identifying infestations is difficult due to the beetle's 2mm size. The City of Cape Town reported a PSHB-infested boxelder tree in Newlands in January 2023, advising neighbors to inspect their trees. The initial infestation in Somerset West in March 2019 was contained until the Newlands sighting. The City said it was thanks to the combined efforts of the Parks and Recreation, Roads and Infrastructure, and the Energy Departments, that the replanting project came to fruition this month. Andrews said the event raised awareness for residents. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'The combined efforts of three different directorates are a testament to our commitment to managing the spread of PSHB infestations in Cape Town. It is important that we plant new trees to replace those lost to PSHB beetles. I want to encourage all residents to familiarise themselves with the list of trees which are reproductive hosts of the PSHB,' he said. 'If you suspect an infected tree, please contact our invasive species unit so we can act to mitigate the spread of the beetle.' Manuel said it was the first replacement of planting of trees infected by the PSHB beetle in the southern suburbs. 'Trees are a significant feature of our area's character, so we must do everything possible to continuously plant new trees every year. We are grateful for the offers of assistance from our community partners, most notably Newlands CID and TreeKeepers,' he said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Aussie council's innovative idea to combat invasive pest taking down city's trees
An Aussie council believes it has found a way to fight back against an invasive pest that is infecting and destroying trees across the city. In most cases, when the bug is found, there is nothing that can be done other than to chop off affected limbs or cut down the tree. Native to Southeast Asia, the polyphagous shot-hole borer was first found in Fremantle, WA, in 2021 — confusing experts on how it got into the country and sparking fears the destructive beetles could wipe out forests and agricultural crops. The issue has since escalated rapidly, with entire sections of greater Perth put into quarantine in September last year as authorities scrambled to thwart the tiny critter. In November, the City of Canning, which overseas the southeastern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city, urged residents to help in the fight by keeping an eye out for the pest, especially if they had a particular list of trees in their garden. Earlier this year, the council began a state-first trial by pioneering a new technique to thwart the invasive pest. The council has been injecting infected trees with small pills filled with fungicide and insecticide in a bid to kill of the pest and restore tree health. And the early data is very promising. "The City is continuing its trial of chemical treatment of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) at Bicentennial Adenia Reserve to gather further data supporting the current findings," the city's mayor Patrick Hall told Yahoo News on Friday. "Following a recent inspection from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) representatives a reduction in the number of live beetles and active fungus in borer galleries has been confirmed." Entire Aussie city quarantined as bug threat spreads Harvey Norman bed discovered riddled with invasive species from China New predatory bug species uses 'tool' to assassinate prey According to Hall, every local government in WA "is under threat" from the species. While the City of Canning is confident the early signs from the trial could put them on path to some sort of panacea, the results are still being reviewed by the council's academic partners "for validity". "While not a complete solution to PSHB, this trial is part of the City of Canning's commitment to sustainable urban forest management and is a key step in an integrated pest management approach, combining tree health initiatives, pruning, and innovative control methods," Hall said in a statement to Yahoo. The council will release further information as additional trial data is reviewed. Speaking to Nine News Perth this month, John Szymanski from BioHerbicides Australia, which is helping carry out the field work in the trial, explained the simple idea. "I thought hang on, it's an insect, it's a fungus, why can't we put an insecticide and a fungicide in the capsule, and put it in the tree? "It's the difference between keeping a tree alive, and just removing it," he said. The council wants state government endorsement and funding to conduct further trials and hopes the treatment ultimately means fewer trees will have to be cut down and the door opened to potential eradication. If so, it's a technique the council says could be used in other parts of Australia where the pest has caused trouble. Meanwhile residents in WA are urged to keep doing their part and remain vigilant for the bugs. If anyone discovers tiny holes the size of a ball point pen in clusters, they are urged to report the suspected infestation to DPIRD. Affected trees can "quickly become public safety hazards and a constant source of beetles that can disperse to neighbouring trees, causing spread," the department's website says. Originally from southeast Asia, the tiny creatures have now invaded several countries including the United States and Israel. One of the worst impacted countries is South Africa where it's estimated to have caused $28 billion in damage. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
