Prominent Perth arborists and tree risk assessors have denounced the report, which the City of Cockburn has called "woefully inadequate". Save Beeliar Wetlands convenor Kate Kelly with the giant jarrah tree. Peak national arboriculture body Arboriculture Australia recommends anyone seeking consultations on trees should only engage someone with a minimum of a diploma in arboriculture. It keeps a public register of qualified arborists for use by government and industry, and the name of Mr Haning does not appear. Prominent Perth arborist Rob Bodenstaff, a tertiary graduate certificate and advanced diploma holder, said Australian Standards also recommended a minimum of a diploma in arboriculture or horticulture. In addition to this, there are two internationally recognised tree risk assessment qualifications which carry legal weight.

Mr Haning, the subcontractor who reported on and felled the tree, is listed on his business ArborPlus' website simply as having "more than 25 years' industry experience". Mr Haning has no relevant qualifications listed on professional documents, his LinkedIn account or his business' website. Mr Haning's LinkedIn profile lists him as a self-employed pastor with a 1984 diploma in theology from Perth Bible College. He declined to clarify his qualifications to WAtoday.com.au. His report said he assessed the tree using criteria on the City of Cockburn website, but what he listed was parts of documents, which the city said in no way outlined its policy or procedures and were related to three unrelated school sites.

The city confirmed that though complaints about beehives on Main Roads-owned land would be redirected to Main Roads, the usual process would be to send someone to remove the hive – not the tree. Indeed, the resident who complained told WAtoday that when he contacted the city, staff gave him the name of a preferred bee removal service to pass on to Main Roads, which he did, never expecting the tree to be cut down. City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said if trees were considered for removal standard practice was to commission an arborist to produce a report for review. If the removal was of a sensitive nature, "such as involving a significant tree estimated to be hundreds of years old as in this case" the city would also get a second opinion. The process would normally take two to three weeks rather than a few days.

Mayor Howlett said MRWA needed to review its policies, as the report supplied by its contractor lacked basic information such as property number and land ownership; assessment terms and method; detailed description (for example, height, trunk diameter, specific measurements from structural elements, canopy form, structural form, foundations); identification and location of diseases and pests; an official recommendation; references, including liability; and the arborist's signature and qualifications). An independent arborist report now commissioned by the City of Cockburn has said risk to public health from bee colonies may have increased in the short term as a result of the felling; that no significant targets were located in the drop zone of the tree and the risk to persons or property as a result of its age and status were negligible; that surrounding trees were damaged in the felling; and that though the tree was affected by dieback and previous termite colonies, its condition from ground to a height of four metres was in fact good. "The City will be seeking a full explanation from Main Roads WA and their contractors," the Mayor said. Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said though it was unlawful to clear native vegetation without a permit, Main Roads was exempted from getting a permit because of a regulation allowing clearing in "non-environmentally sensitive areas" for the purpose of "preventing imminent danger to human life or health". He did not clarify why the area was considered "non-environmentally sensitive" when a 2015 government press statement had described the location's "environmental sensitivities".

The subcontractor's report was dated January 14, after the tree was felled. Despite this Mr Roberts said Main Roads did receive the report or a "summary" of it on January 11, before the tree was felled. "On this basis, and in consideration of concerns raised by local residents, a Main Roads officer authorised the work," he said. Mr Roberts did not specify when asked if government departments required contracted or subcontracted arborists to have minimum qualifications. "The arborist had advised he had "31 years' experience in the industry including 30 years of emergency response insurance work so he [had] extensive experience regarding the potential for tree limbs falling."

He said Main Roads contractor Colliers International had subcontracted Westland Works which had in turn subcontracted Mr Haning. Mr Roberts said Mr Haning had undertaken a tree risk assessment "in the form of a visual inspection" that determined there was an immediate risk of a large branch shearing off causing either death or serious injury. Arbor Carbon forest pathologist and qualified tree risk assessor Paul Barber, an adjunct associate professor at Murdoch University, visited the felled jarrah and disagreed. He said while the tree had dead wood in the crown, it did not meet the criteria for removal using either of the two internationally recognised tree risk assessment methods. He said the tree's base was structurally sound and measurements of its length proved that if it failed at ground level it would not directly impact the nearby path, fence or bus stop. It was located within a rarely used bushland corridor.

Dr Barber also said the tree had major ecological value given the rarity of "king jarrahs" on the Swan Coastal Plain, and given its ability to provide nesting habitat. Arbor Centre's Rob Bodenstaff said there was now an onus on the public and private sector to target recommended minimum competence levels when obtaining tree advice. "The days of Joe Bloggs the tree lopper providing advice for authorities have gone," he said. "There are people who are well qualified." South Metropolitan MLC Lynn MacLaren has written to Environment Minister Albert Jacob and Transport Minister Dean Nalder to seek more answers.

"Far too many mature native trees are being cut down in Perth on dubious grounds with negative impacts on human health and the environment – so the senseless destruction of this tree illustrates a wider problem," she said. The immediate past head of plant biology at the University of Western Australia has also written to Mr Jacob demanding he act to ensure this situation is not repeated. Follow WAtoday on Twitter