Queenscliff community members have been left stumped over the surprise removal of two trees from a war memorial site.
Two 70-year-old trees were removed from the Queenscliffe Avenue of Honour, a memorial established in the 1920s to commemorate World War One.
Queenscliff Community Association president David Connoley said he was upset to see the trees removed from the memorial and felt the community had not been consulted about the change.
“We’re a little bit in the dark about what process council used to determine whether the trees should be removed,” he said.
“We can understand in cases where there is an immediate risk, but to remove a whole tree requires some significant analysis.
“No one likes to see a tree go, and a tree removal should be the last resort, as there should be every effort undertaken to preserve the trees.
“The trees were part of the Avenue of Honour and had relevance to the area, particularly because they were part of the post-World War plantings in that memorial.”
Borough of Queenscliffe outgoing chief executive Martin Gill said council was working hard to ensure the avenue remained part of the town’s collective identity and a lasting memorial.
“The trees within the Avenue of Honour are inspected annually by an arborist and, following the 2025 inspections, the arborist recommended removal of both trees,” he said.
“The community is notified when a tree requires removal through council’s usual communication channels unless an emergency removal is required, like after storm events.
“Council has been removing two to three Avenue of Honour trees per year because of either storm damage or arborist recommendation following the annual inspection program.
“A similar number of removals is anticipated to continue to be required each year as trees that were planted in the early 20th century are unable to be safely managed beside an arterial road.”
