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Tatura resident Terry Court has expressed concerns over the impact ‘‘significant pruning’’ will have on street trees in Tatura

Mr Court said the pruning, which started last week, is to comply with the Victorian Government’s Electrical Safety Regulations that were introduced following the 2009 bush fires.

Greater Shepparton City Council general manager of asset development Peter Harriott said the regulations required trees to be trimmed back further than in the past.

Mr Harriott said about 3000 street trees under power lines would be pruned in Tatura, Mooroopna and Shepparton during January and February.

‘‘In the interests of public safety we have been pruning trees under powerlines for many years,’’ he said.

‘‘The significant change for the council, as a result of these State Government regulations, is that they now have to be trimmed even further to comply with the revised regulation.

‘‘The increased pruning of course comes at an additional cost for the council and there’s also a real issue around the aesthetic impact of the pruning.’’

Mr Harriott said the Municipal Association of Victoria, on behalf of councils across the state, had been working with Energy Safe Victoria to address concerns about the associated increased costs of the stricter pruning regime as well as issues around the amenity value of street trees.

‘‘Our Electric Line Clearance Management Plan 2011/12 clearly states that the council will as far as practicable, restrict cutting or removal of natives or trees of cultural or environmental significance to the minimum extent necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements,’’ he said.

Mr Court and members of the Tatura Community Plan Committee met with council staff and representatives from the pruning contractor to discuss the potential health impact of pruning on the trees.

He said at this time of year some trees would be under great stress.

‘‘While I’m concerned about the extent of pruning, I’m unsure if we are in a high or low risk area, as Tatura is surrounded by irrigated agriculture and the landscape has already lost 97 per cent of native vegetation. I would have thought we would be one of the lowest risk locations in the state,’’ he said.

‘‘On one hand there are proposals to put power underground in high risk areas of the state while other not so leafy areas, such as Tatura, will see a massive visual and environmental impacts.’’

The tender for the pruning work was awarded to VEMCO, a national company specialising in vegetation management.