A row of trees in Port Fairy was given a stay of execution on Tuesday after Moyne Shire was persuaded by a resident to review its decision to give them the chop.
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At the January council meeting, councillors voted to remove the Drooping Sheoak trees and replace them with Apple Myrtle in Norfolk Place.
But the decision took some of the residents in the street by surprise who say they were unaware councillors were debating the issue at that meeting and were therefore "denied natural justice" of presenting their views.
Cr Jordan Lockett said the street looked fantastic it seemed "absolute madness to remove the trees".
Moves to cut down the trees came after the council received complaints from residents about the trees dropping leaves and causing maintenance issues with gutters and drains.
A council survey found that 21 per cent of residents wanted to keep the trees but 42 per cent wanted them removed and replaced - a move that would cost $20,000.
However, resident Anthony Phillips raised concerns during public participation at Tuesday's meeting and said 11 out of 19 residents on the street didn't want the trees removed which was more than the four that had responded to the council survey saying they should stay.
"Whatever the reason for this discrepancy, the survey results should be revised," Mr Phillips said.
He said because the majority of landowners were against the trees' removal, it showed the unreliability of the survey results on which the council's decision was based.
Mr Phillips, speaking on behalf of 11 landowners, said just because the trees were mature, it didn't mean they should automatically be removed.
Mr Phillips said residents were resigned to the fact the trees wouldn't last indefinitely and would eventually have to be replaced.
But he said they preferred a staged replacement with possibly the same type of trees.
The plan to replace them with an Apple Myrtle could potentially mean they would end up with larger trees that dropped more debris and leaf litter, he said.
"Our ultimate aim is to get the original council's decision amended or deferred," he said.
Director of physical services Trevor Greenberger said the council would defer its decision and carry out further consultation.
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