Bathurst's Durham Street plane trees spared the chop for now

Councillors voted last Wednesday night to delay a final decision on the proposal until the matter can be brought before a working party for further investigation.

Greening Bathurst member Hugh Gould had earlier used public question time to tell councillors that while his group broadly supported the plans, there were concerns about the timing of the project.

Specifically, members objected to a proposal to remove the plane trees in one fell swoop rather than in a staged program as preferred by Greening Bathurst.

“These types of projects require both a plan and vision of the future which will be more than two decades away,” Mr Gould said.

“This brings up what most of our membership considers to be a flaw in the current proposal.

“It is disappointing that the existing trees have to be removed before the new plantings can take place.

“From an engineering perspective it might be logistically preferable to start with a blank slate, however, in doing so, many of the residents will not live to see the final outcome two or three decades down the track.”

Mr Gould said Greening Bathurst recommended larger plane trees should be retained while new species were planted along the avenue as well.

A report to council by engineering services director Doug Patterson said replacement species being recommended for Durham Street included autumn red maples and ornamental pistachios.

They were considered less invasive than the plane trees and in keeping with the city’s autumn colours theme.

However, Mr Gould said he believed the damage to footpaths and infrastructure from the existing plane trees was being overstated to support the case for removal.

“One only has to seek out other localities which embrace this species and value the benefits over the costs of maintenance through the years,” he said.

Deputy mayor Ian North asked that the tree planting plans go to a working party to develop a replacement program that would not leave Bathurst’s CBD “looking like a concrete jungle for the next 10 years”.

Cr Jess Jennings was also against a wholesale removal of the London plane trees and asked council to investigate solutions that could see the established trees retained.