ORANGE’S Lone Pine might have faced its last trim to avoid powerlines, with Essential Energy to consider moving its infrastructure.
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Large-scale pruning to its eastern branches caused outrage on Tuesday when the historic tree was left lopsided.
Orange City Council and Essential Energy staff held a second meeting on Thursday onsite, which also included the contractors responsible for the original pruning and the Orange RSL sub-branch.
Mayor Reg Kidd said the parties agreed on a solution, which included evening out the tree and moving the powerlines, either underground or above ground and closer to Tony Leahey Ford.
“It will actually improve it and open it right up to light,” he said.
“They might not need to look at pruning there ever again.”
The council is expected to complete the pruning work at Essential Energy’s expense.
Cr Kidd said the trees in Orange’s heritage conservation areas would be mapped as part of the solutions.
“So if they’re looking at a powerline and a tree, it will raise a red flag and they’ll have to consult with council staff,” he said.
Cr Kidd said he was “very confident” future incidents would not occur and praised the rapid response from the distributor’s top levels.
“Essential Energy have been quite upfront, they haven’t tried to hide from it,” he said.
“I’m over the moon, I think it’s a good result.”
READ ALSO: Lone Pine defended as direct descendent
Orange RSL sub-branch senior vice-president Chris Colvin said the group would support the council.
The tree is believed to be a third-generation descendent from the original Lone Pine at Gallipoli, which was destroyed during the World War I battle with the same name as the Turks searched for boughs to cover their trenches.
Orange’s tree was planted in Robertson Park during the 1930s, but was later moved to the corner of Bathurst Road and Lone Pine Avenue in 1939.
Essential Energy contractors have been pruning trees in an effort to limit risks of fire, injury and power cuts.