AS4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees now available.
Report on progress of Arboriculture standards at Standards Australia
29/08/2008
It is a long time since the main arboriculture committee (EV-018) met and a long time since any of the working groups met. The working groups develop the drafts, which must then be finalised by the main committee before going out to comment. I sit on the main committee as well as on the Tree Protection on Development Sites working group and the Tree Valuation working group. I do not sit on the Specifying Trees working group but I stay in touch with those who do.
It is well over a year since any of the working groups met, despite the fact that both the Tree Protection draft and the Specifying Trees draft were close to completion at that time. This is not for lack of enthusiasm on behalf of working group members, who are keen to see these standards finalised and published. However, during this time Standards Australia has undergone some review. Our Project Manager, Chandima Nawela, was reassigned to another area. No replacement was appointed to the Arboriculture committee, so there was literally nobody there taking any responsibility for our projects.
At the same time, Standards Australia was reviewing the progress of their numerous projects. They expect some ‘return on their investments’ and do not want to waste resources on projects that take too much time for little result. I assume that in their view, Arboriculture projects are already relatively low priority when compared with more obvious safety standards, such as home heaters, bicycle helmets and baby restraints. Such areas receive much higher levels of input from within Standards Australia. When projects such as the Tree Valuation draft then take 20 years with no final result, Standards Australia wants to drop them. In SA’s corporate-speak, they are implementing a “New Business Model that involves prioritising, focusing and investing resources where they can add the maximum amount of Net Benefit.”
So, two weeks ago I received a letter stating that we have a new Project Manager and updating me on the standing of our projects: the Tree Protection project is “Active”; the Specifying Trees project is “Provisional”; and the Tree Valuation project wasn’t mentioned. I rang our new Project Manger and, with the working group chair, organised a face-to-face meeting, as this would encourage her to familiarise herself with our projects. Having met with her last Friday, I can now report the following.
Protection of trees on development sites
This project is “active”, meaning that SA will put resources into it. They are aware that it is close to completion. At present, the final draft is being typed by SA staff. It will then be circulated to the working group and main committee for review before being released for public comment. This may take about one month. After the lack of awareness about the pruning standard being available for public comment, I have requested that we receive clear notification that this draft is available for public comment and will organise links on the ISAAC website. Feedback will then be reviewed by the main committee, changes made as necessary, and if the draft passes a final ballot it will finally be published, perhaps even in January 2009.
Please watch the ISAAC website – we will notify you here when the draft is available for comment.
Specifying Trees
This project has been categorised as “provisional”, meaning that SA regards it as low priority and is not committing resources to it at present. However, I believe that this was because they are unaware that it is close to completion (or even completed). I have brought this to their attention and they are reconsidering its status. My understanding is that it is ready for review by the main committee before going to public comment.
Tree Valuation.
SA wants to drop this project because it has been running for so long. The working group actually got it close to completion at the last meeting. To finish this, we would need to resubmit the project to SA. I will speak to other members of the working group to see how much interest there is in reviving this project. If there is support for it, we will resubmit to SA and finish it off.
David Galwey
ISAAC representative to Standards Australia EV-018 Arboriculture Committee