Whitehorse News - February 2022

Callan Walker leads Council’s Arborist team. With more than 15 years’ experience in the industry, he knows how to help our natural environment flourish.

Callan joined Council more than three years ago and says one of the best things about working at Whitehorse is the staff. He says that the great working relationships he has with teams across the organisation makes his job much easier.

Callan and his team worked hard throughout the pandemic to keep after our trees and open spaces safe and presentable. During lockdowns our community relied on these open spaces more than usual. We also had major storms to contend with.

As team leader, Callan manages a lot more than tree pruning. In a normal day, he can liaise with a range of Council departments to ensure that projects do not negatively impact the parks and natural environment in Whitehorse. He has also been contributing to recent plans including our Urban Forest Strategy 2021-31.

This strategy includes a target of increasing the Whitehorse tree canopy from 18 per cent to 27 per cent by 2031. There are also approximately 350 Council managed facilities with trees requiring yearly maintenance. The Arborist team liaises with many different organisations to manage these sites including Yarra Valley Water and Comdain MultiNet Gas.

Making a difference for the community by “replanting new street trees, minimising risks and removing hazards to protect the community” is one of the things Callan enjoys most about his job.