Council recreation planning and facilities manager Jendi Paterson said trees were visually inspected regularly from the road to identify potential hazards.
On-site inspections were done if a health and safety concern was raised with a particular tree.
Otago Community Board chairman Paul Pope said such incidents were "one of those things" in a high wind area with ageing trees.
On Tuesday, a tree fell about 20m from a council road reserve on to the road just north of Turnbull Bay.
Detours had to be put in place while workers using a large digger cleared logs from the road.
A resident who helped stop traffic after the tree fell said it was "very lucky" no vehicles were on the road at the time.
There are plenty of large trees dotting the steep banks over the road, many of them older specimens.
The scenic route is increasingly popular with tourists in camper vans and buses, and is also used by commuting residents.
Ms Paterson said the tree had not been marked for felling.
She said if a tree was identified as a health and safety risk, the risk was managed either by pruning or removal.
Asked if the age of trees growing above the road was an issue, she said tree failures could be attributed to a number of reasons, not limited to age.
Delta was the contractor used to look after road reserves, and Asplundh looked after reserve trees.
Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope said the fall was "one of those things" on the peninsula.
The area was a high wind environment, and some of the bigger macrocarpas and pines were coming to the end of their natural life. Heavy rain and fragile soil also exacerbated the situation.
"It’s the nature of the peninsula."
Mr Pope said council staff had done assessments of trees on the peninsula and had dealt with those with issues.
"I think it’s a matter of always keeping a watching brief on the road conditions and on trees, and I know staff do that."
The community board also had a responsibility to share its local knowledge.
Older trees such as macrocarpas had been introduced during early European settlement and used as shelter trees.
They often showed where houses were built in the past.
"Of course, now that we have more modern housing, more modern roading, we find occasionally there are issues.
"You just have to deal with those as is appropriate."
