Dead willow trees are being lifted out of a steep, hard-to-reach section of Hobart’s Sandy Bay Rivulet by helicopter today.
The City of Hobart said flying the logs out was the safest and most practical way to finish this stage of its crack willow removal project.
Flights are expected to run from 9am to 2pm if the weather allows, with the helicopter able to stay in the air until 4pm.
The council says it may fly as low as 30 metres above the ground and that residents along Waterworks Road in Dynnyrne can expect noise.
City of Hobart chief executive Michael Stretton said the helicopter avoided the need for heavy machinery near critical water infrastructure.
“Using a helicopter allows us to remove these invasive willow trees from a very difficult-to-access section of the rivulet without risking damage to nearby TasWater infrastructure,” he said.
The council’s project website says work on the Sandy Bay Rivulet was held up earlier while it worked with TasWater to make sure heavy machinery would not damage water infrastructure in the area.
Crack willow is a highly invasive weed. It forms dense thickets that choke waterways and make flooding and bank erosion worse.
Its roots push out native plants, reduce oxygen for fish and make it harder for platypus to feed and build burrows.
“This important work will help restore the health of Sandy Bay Rivulet and reduce the impacts of invasive species in the catchment,” Stretton said.
The $1.1 million, three-year project is jointly funded by the City of Hobart and the federal government through the Disaster Ready Fund.
The council has already killed 195 willows along the Sandy Bay Rivulet with herbicide.
The dead trees will now be cleared from private properties and nearby bushland and new trees will be planted afterwards.
Part of the Waterworks Reserve walking track, between Romilly Street and the Lower Reservoir wall, is closed while the helicopter is flying.
