Is this normal for eight months?

Council planted this water gum last year in Autumn and it doesn't look very different since. Is this normal? Should I cut off those lower branches? Wondering if that would be promote growth at the top?

I know it's technically not my tree to prune but my council is pretty hopeless and incompetent.

Also I removed the stakes (which I added) but now I'm wondering if I should add one to the left of it because it looks like it's leaning to the right