A GIANT 80-year-old Kurrajong tree has been successfully moved to make way for the Metronet upgrade of the Bayswater train station.

Bayswater resident Lazar Radanovich had called for the tree to be saved at the 2018 Bayswater council AGM, which was then endorsed by the council and agreed to by the McGowan government.

This week the tree was pulled out by one crane, swapped to a mobile crane, then slowly driven down the road to its new home at Bert Wright Park.

• The tree’s new home at Bert Wright Park. Photo by David Bell

Maylands MP Lisa Baker said “preparation works for the tree relocation began in May 2019, when a trench was dug around the tree and its roots trimmed. 

“Soil was then backfilled into the trench, and the tree was left for six months for careful monitoring over the winter.”

It’s now being nourished by reticulation pipes and will be monitored closely to ensure it survives. The first 12 to 18 months are critical, but it can take up to five years for these trees to fully settle into their new homes. 

by DAVID BELL