Its always been my position that the people who live there should have been canvassed and given the best information about what state the tree was/is in and what options are open to its management felling included.
As is often the case (and you know only too well) the info we get on the outside so to speak is very poor and inaccurate..I have tried on four occaisions to get a response from Mr Werner but (understandably) he and his company are not interested in discussing the issues with someone living and working in Oz.
I am not saying that I know for certain 100% what is the right thing to do with the tree in its current condition...others who have visited the tree have emailed me both that it is beyond help, and that it could be conserved for much longer than the public statements of 10-20yrs..go figure?
I quess what frustrates me is that such an important tree could be so neglected for so long, allowed to get into the state it was in the late 90's then to have such damaging work done to it is really nuts! There are thankfully less and less Arborists who believe that to reduce the wind loading on a tree you must cut off the top 4m!! Sometimes as a profession we seem sadly obsessed with the chainsaw as the sole solution to all tree problems.
Maybe I'll get to see the tree in person late next year but I have the feeling it won't be there.