AN ENVIRONMENTALIST who fought to save trees at the gateway of the city has thanked everyone involved in the campaign, saying it’s an example of what can be achieved when the community works together.
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Back in 2013, Warwick Artis, from Greening Bathurst, contacted the RMS with concerns about trees being removed from the Kelso highway upgrade.
The trees, which only ever existed on paper, were removed from the final plan, which, at the time was alarming.
However after lengthy negotiations with the RMS, Mr Artis said the community has come a long way regarding the proposed landscaping to what the city has today.
“We lost 138 trees to the construction but gained over 600, including an avenue of 235 street trees that as they mature to 12-15 metres will present a magnificent entrance to our city while the 370 or more mostly native trees promise to provide balance and depth to the landscaping,” he said.
He said the support Greening Bathurst received from the Western Advocate helped raise awareness and involvement from others in the community and helped them achieve an excellent result.
Mr Artis said he wanted to extend his thanks to the residents who agreed to trees being planted on their properties and to the businesses along the route who supported street trees fronting their business.
“This entire process is an example of what can be achieved when authorities are prepared to listen to the community and continue to engage when barriers and objections are challenged,” he said.
