A palm tree audit has recently been completed, with Council assessing the rising cost of maintaining the iconic tropical species.
The last count of coconut palms occurred back in 2015 (when around 12,000 trees were recorded) and it is time to update Council’s records.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said staff had been busy recording mature palm numbers on Council land.
“You may have noticed some dots spray painted on coconut palms in your neighbourhood,” Ms Scomazzon said.
“This a visual marker to confirm that it has been GPS recorded. The information Council is compiling will be used in future coconut management planning.”
Ms Scomazzon said the coconut palm was a much-loved species for both locals and visitors but they come with a public liability risk.
“The risk of injury from being hit by falling coconuts is real, with many stories of near misses,” she said.
“The count has revealed an increase of nearly nine per cent in the volume of mature coconut palms in high-risk areas requiring maintenance.”
Meantime the first round of Council’s de-nutting program begins this month and runs through until December. The second round will begin in May 2025.
The cost of the de-nutting program, removing fallen trees, fronds and fruit from parks, roads, paths, beaches and storm water drains has increased significantly over the past few years. For more information on Council’s current Coconut Management Plan click here.
