River Red Gum tree at AgriBio

An ancient River Red Gum tree located near to AgriBio – a joint initiative of the Victorian Government through Agriculture Victoria and La Trobe University – was proposed for removal for safety reasons by building manager, Honeywell, following an arborist’s report.

La Trobe University engaged an independent arborist and lobbied to preserve this significant tree.

The second arborist’s report advised that any safety risks could be managed effectively by implementing a range of measures including selective pruning.

Following Honeywell’s application for a planning permit from Darebin Council to remove the tree, as owner of the land on which the tree is located, La Trobe has denied permission for the tree to be removed.

The University and State Government will continue to work with Honeywell to invest in measures to preserve this important tree while protecting the health and safety of community and visitors to our campus.

La Trobe University is proud that more than 40 per cent of its Bundoora campus has tree canopy cover, including 30 significant trees.

We will be applying the same measures as those applied to the ancient River Red Gum tree at AgriBio to these other significant trees in order to preserve them for future generations.


Contact the Media Team