Trees going ...
Saturday, 5 March 2005 7:33 AM
Yesterday, I was showing our local Councillor Jane Prentice how developers remove trees and as we pulled up at one site, a tree was literally being removed ... from the footpath.
Too late to stop them cutting into the tree at its base, Jane walked over to ask them about the job
to find an order had been issued (apparently by someone in BCC) for 5 trees to be removed from the footpath.
A couple of phone calls later and Jane told the tree removers that a senior Council officer would be inspecting the site within minutes and that no further trees were to be touched until his arrival.
Some lessons learned ...
ALWAYS try to ensure your Councillor trusts your advice as they will act if well informed AND community minded.
Jane has a "policy" that no trees are to be removed without her knowledge.
Council officers are notorious for saying that a tree that has been paint marked will (or will not) be removed which is then advised to concerned residents ... only to find that another part of Council or ENERGEX then removes the tree ... eternal vigilance is essential.
Exactly that happened to someone in WTS in the last day or so .. the tree was gone when he/she returned home!
Clearly the Natural Assets Local Law (which is supposed to be a stronger version of the Vegetation Protection Order) is not working if major street trees can so easily be removed without ANY consultation.
Some good news though is that the remaining 4 trees are still there ... so keep watching ... the site is the corner of Harts and Indooroopilly Roads ... and the developer has a record of removing trees one by one as can be seen at the corner of Graham Street and Harts Road.
Of course these processes are designed to preserve as well as remove trees ... so an appropriate proper application should in my view ALWAYS be provided to the local Council Ward office so that locals can "Have a say".
But worse ...
I noted this morning a large hole in the treescape on the western corner of the Indooroopilly Soccer Club site (on Fairley Street) ... Jack Speare Park.
Closer examination shows 3 large and obviously mature trees have been removed destroying the effect of the park being edged by mature trees.
This is what the NALL process is meant to prevent ... and again, the application should have gone to the Ward Office.
Another thing I learned was that the tree removers appear to be employed by a BCC private company ... with a name like River City Tree Services ... I certainly saw no indication or identification of affiliation with BCC.
The mind boggles at the possibilities for corruption however.
Consider this as a possibility.
Developer wants a tree removed, rings a mate in BCC who issues a work order to a mate in RCTS who then removes the tree and charges the developer who then slings the parties involved a reward.
This is exactly the same problem we are facing with small lot and other development control decisions being made beyond scrutiny of the public and Councillors.
Which brings up the second story ... again in Harts Road ...
The house opposite Munro Street has been moved sideways ... it is one of many where a small lot subdivision was approved on the basis that the existing house would be retained on one of the lots. HOWEVER, the existing house is too wide for the small lot ... as can now be seen on site!
The next step that seems likely (and has occurred elsewhere) is to slice off the excess ... a bit like pruning a tree except that nothing will grow!
Again, the idea that BCC has a "character protection" policy is now being seen as something of a fraud ... the character of the suburb(s) is not being protected ... the houses that are not removed are being moved closer to the front and side boundaries, the trees are removed, the grass becomes concrete, and in cases like this, the "character" of the house is removable ...!
Hopefully, however, with groups like Taringa Trees (welcome TT see David in the email address) now putting a focus on keeping and protecting the treescape in our area, maybe we can look forward to a little less disturbance from the chainsaws and chippers.
Michael Yeates
for WTN RAG