The large elm tree branch which fell on to a car parked in Rattray St, at Queens Gardens, on Sunday, sparked a response from the Dunedin City Council and emergency services.
Arborist Mark Roberts said it was not the first branch to fall from one of the trees in the area, but it was unlikely the trees posed a risk.
"The reality is that you’re more likely to be harmed in your kitchen than you are by a tree.
"They’re healthy trees. They do represent a style of pruning that modern arborists are coming to terms with."
Weather conditions had combined to make the branch more likely to fail, he said.
"If I assessed those trees, they still would not have a high risk."
No council staff were available to comment.
In a written statement, parks and recreation group manager Robert West said the council regularly carried out routine maintenance on its trees, and it used several methods to assess tree risk.
"Tree risk assessments are carried out by our contractors and our urban forest officer following requests from the public and identification of trees through our inspection schedule."
The council would be looking into Sunday’s incident, he said.
