The action would be in addition to risk mitigation measures that Newcastle City Council is already implementing over the next week along the Cooks Hill strip, between Darby and Dawson streets.

These include closing the road to east-bound traffic, banning parking and removing seats under the trees in adjacent Civic Park.

The street is also closed whenever wind speed exceeds 50 kmh.

Infrastructure services manager John Johnston said yesterday that an arborist and other consultants were expected to review the control measures to determine if they were adequate.

If not, the council would look at doing more work, including setting up exclusion zones, which might involve putting barriers around the figs, he said.

Most councillors agreed in November to remove and replace the trees because of the public safety threat, but that decision was overturned on Tuesday.

Community workshops will now be held early next year to consider preferred designs for Laman Street.

Mr Johnston said everything was on the table, including a 2005 Civic Park management plan.

It proposed closing Laman Street to traffic, removing the fig trees in front of the library and art gallery and creating grassy, tiered platforms in front of the buildings.

Ways to keep the trees would also be considered.