In a public briefing to councillors, council staff explained why the trees on the refuge island between Hunter and Scott streets were being removed and the plans to replant the site.

The briefing was in response to a request from Greens councillor John Mackenzie for transparency about the figs' future after they were earmarked to be axed, particularly after the Laman Street fiasco 10 years ago.

Council's senior project planner Tim Daley said the site was reviewed as part of the east end public domain works, with plans to realign Hunter Street where it meets Scott Street.

He said arborists found three of the four figs on the refuge were in decline and were unable to be improved.

"All of the trees were impacted by the light rail works," he said.

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The proposed public domain works would further exacerbate the decline meaning the trees wouldn't survive, Mr Daley said, with additional earthworks and the removal of the surrounding pavements, which have helped anchor the trees in place, being problematic.

"If the trees were in great health, we would have kept them," he said. "We've done everything we could to retain them, but they were in a state of decline."

The removal of the three figs will result in a 32 per cent loss of canopy to the street. Mr Daley said the replacement ratio of trees would be larger, irrigation gardens will be installed and "it will be estimated that the loss of canopy will be replaced within five to seven years".

The figs will be replaced by firewheel trees, which council's assets coordinator environment Karenne Jurd said would be some of the few trees that would bring nectar-eating birds into the city.

Cr Mackenzie asked what impact the works would have on the life expectancy of the trees.

Ms Jurd said she expected to see limb losses and leaf fall, and an assessment had deduced that a removal and replacement strategy would be more beneficial than leaving the trees.

"Once they are out, we do believe that new garden bed that exists, which can't be created while these trees are in place, would actually add to the overall benefit," she said.

"It is not an exact science ... But it certainly is one that is holistic."

However Cr Mackenzie said after the meeting he wasn't yet fully supportive of the decision to chop them down and that he would be thoroughly reading the arborist report.

"The Hunter Street figs are extraordinary trees in terms of their amenity, character and most importantly their heritage values," he said.

"I need to be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that their health has been fatally compromised, and I'll be reviewing the arborist report accordingly.

"It is simply no longer acceptable to cut down healthy and thriving trees to make way for landscaping or vanity projects in our city."

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