Mr Owen weighed in to the debate after the NSW Land and Environment Court granted an injunction that will ensure the council votes again on the removal of the street's 14 fig trees.

Save Our Figs and several councillors will now push to halt the chainsaws in favour of an independent risk assessment.

Read Herald senior writer Greg Ray's opinion about the Laman Street fig saga by clicking here.

The Newcastle Herald reported on Thursday that an internal council memo had raised concerns about the ability of such an assessment to settle the dispute.

Council general manager Phil Pearce wrote that any assessment that argued the trees were safe would have to be "weighted" against existing reports and would not "erase the body of knowledge already in existence".

But Mr Owen said any new evaluation of risk must have the ability to settle the dispute.

"There needs to be a very strong, decisive process, whatever they do," Mr Owen said.

The government's position has not changed, and it will only intervene if requested by the council.

Mr Owen said the government could provide an arborist to conduct a review.

Newcastle lord mayor John Tate said community activists and councillors had already agreed to be bound by the results of a genuine independent assessment.