Residents shouldn’t panic about the trees being pruned in various streets of the suburb Witpoortjie, says councillor Gert Niemand.
Over the past three weeks in what will continue as a maintenance exercise, many trees in streets like Adam Tas and Leerdam were pruned. Not the trees in the yards, but rather those that decorate sidewalks, are today a much skinnier version of their former selves.
Niemand told the Record upon its enquiry that he has been in close cooperation with City Parks to get trees in the area pruned, as many residents have complained they obstruct motorists’ views. It is City Parks’ mandate to ensure sidewalks, local parks and public spaces remain neat and accessible. Other residents have complained to the Record about the amount of branches cut away, feeling the trees are being destroyed rather than maintained. Furthermore, residents complained about the branches left on sidewalks after the operation for days and even weeks before they are collected.
“You’ll always have people complaining about both sides of the coin,” Niemand said, adding, “some complain the tree is in the way while others complain the tree was basically removed.”
Niemand said the way the trees have been pruned to date will ensure that the process won’t necessarily have to be repeated for the next couple of years. According to him two teams work in such an operation, one team doing the pruning and a second following the routes hours or days after to pick up the garden waste.
According to City Parks spokesperson, Jenny Moodley, the common turnaround time for collecting garden waste, such as branches, off municipal property is two weeks, or 14 days.
“That isn’t to say that the teams wait 14 days before picking up, rather that it happens within a space of 14 days,” she clarified.
Next on the list for tree pruning is Generaal Pienaar Avenue, Niemand said, as especially around shopping complexes and offices their branches have become obstacles for motorists.
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