The council commissioned the report after one of the trees came down last November, smashing into the balcony of the Grosvenor Hotel and narrowly missing a passing car.

The trees were planted 20 years ago as part of a revamp of Ocean Street, according to the manager of open space Brian Doman.

“Minimal site preparation was carried out with the old bitumen layer not removed.

“In recent years root damage to the pavers… has necessitated root barriers being installed.

“A number of these have involved cutting large roots, which are now showing evidence of decay, affecting structural stability of the tree.”

The arborist carried out a tree risk assessment in March that indicated a very high hazard rating for most trees.

“The ultimate and inevitable outcome for these trees is removal.

“However, tree removal could be staged over a number of years to avoid a complete denuding of the streetscape,” the report said.

It recommended the trees with root barriers be removed first and that council prepares larger planting pits for any new plantings.

“The removal of the Chinese Elms will allow the selection of a more appropriate tree species to be planted,” Mr Doman said.

At its June 15 meeting the council authorised Mr Doman to prepare a tree replacement plan for consideration at the next meeting, scheduled for July 20.

Cr Dianne Sinclair-Warren commented that action had been a long time coming.

“The trees are a great risk.”

Lamenting the loss of shade, Cr Liz Cooper expressed a hope the replacements would be well-established trees.