Kauri Pine timber being made available to community groups

Timber from the Kauri Pine which was removed from the Cairns Botanic Gardens in February will be offered at no cost to not-for profit groups and local schools.

The 35-metre high tree was removed in February interests of public safety, following the discovery of significant decay at the base of the tree.

Council subsequently undertook an assessment of the tree’s condition using tomographic scans and resistograph drilling, which confirmed extensive decay that had compromised the tree’s structural integrity.

Timber is being made available to organisations registered with Go Clubs through an expression of interest (EOI) process.

Division 7 Councillor Max O’Halloran encouraged eligible organisations and community groups to register their interest.

“Kauri is a popular timber among woodworkers, so I expect there will be quite a bit of interest in the community,” Cr O’Halloran said.

“The Go Clubs program is a great way for Council to dispose of the timber to not-for-profit groups in a fair and equitable manner.

“I would urge people to get their EOI submission in quickly as it is ‘first come, first served’ and there is obviously a limited amount of timber available.

“We have also had some schools show interest, and we will be contacting those schools directly to determine what they would like.”

Available timber sizes include:

• Full length slabs 3.5m to 4m in length, and between 1m and 1.5m in width
• Timber planks approximately 4m long and 75mm thick
• Blocks suitable for woodturning.

An EOI form will be sent directly to groups registered with Go Clubs.

For more information, email goclubs@cairns.qld.gov.au, go to the Go Clubs Cairns Members Facebook page.