Calls for tree felling regulation after man crushed at Buddhist monastery

There are renewed calls for the regulation of private tree felling activities after a retired nurse was accidentally crushed to death at a Buddhist monastery.An investigation by Coroner Leigh Mackey into the death of a man referred to as LO in November 2023 found the incident was "avoidable", with the "absence of training" a contributing factor."The circumstances of LO's death highlight that felling trees is dangerous and unpredictable," she wrote."Only those that possess specific training and expertise in the skill of tree felling ought to undertake the task."It comes almost a decade after a raft of coronial recommendations were made towards training and accreditation of private chainsaw users, none of which have been implemented.Tree fell 'unpredictably'On November 23, 2023, LO visited a rural property in northern Tasmania's Great Western Tiers region.The property operated as a Buddhist monastery, which LO sometimes visited for meditation.But on this day, he was there to cut down an 18-metre black wattle tree that was "large and twisted".The coroner found LO was usually a "cautious and meticulous planner" with "significant experience" operating a chainsaw on his own property at Gunns Plains, about 140km north-west of Launceston."He was wearing a hard hat, and safety googles as he felled the tree," she wrote.The coroner found that, as the tree fell, he "attempted to move out of its way"."He failed to clear the tree and the head of it fell on his back, crushing him," she wrote.When the owner of the property returned, she found LO crushed underneath the tree and contacted emergency services.The coroner deemed the 63-year-old's death an accident."The weather and environmental conditions in which he was working did not contribute to the accident," she wrote."I find that the tree fell on LO because it had fallen unpredictably either as to the timing of or direction of its fall."'Absence of training'In her investigation, the coroner referenced recommendations made in 2017 following the deaths of six men, all of whom died while privately felling trees."One of the factors Coroner Cooper identified as common to the deaths he investigated was the absence of training," Magistrate Mackey wrote."Coroner Cooper made recommendations directed toward the training and accreditation of private operators of chainsaws."None of the recommendations have been adopted in the nine years since they were made."Magistrate Mackey recommended the Tasmanian government "investigate and implement regulating private tree felling activities", particularly with regard to training.She also recommended increasing public awareness of the dangers of tree felling "by those who lack specialised training".The state government has been contacted for comment.