A development application currently before Bathurst Regional Council proposes building 153 housing lots and new roads on the former Sunnybright Orchard site between Marsden Lane and Limekilns Road.

And that’s just stage one of a project that will eventually see more than 200 new housing lots ranging in size from 550 square metres to 1300 square metres on the eastern fringe of the city.

But it’s the plan to knock down a 60-year-old stand of pine trees that currently runs behind McBrien Drive that has residents up in arms.

The trees were originally planted as a windbreak to protect the orchard but now provide a home to native animal and birdlife, and a pleasing bucolic aesthetic at the edge of the existing housing estates.

McBrien Drive resident Jim Hallahan said removing the trees would completely change the feel of one of Kelso’s prime estates.

“We bought up here on the basis that the area was called Pine View and now they want to knock down those pines,” he said.

“The trees in this area are quite unique because Kelso has developed so quickly over the last 10 years that there are not many trees left out here at all.

“It probably means council would have to compromise a bit on the number of homes or size of the blocks to go in there.”

The concerned residents have been collecting signatures in a bid to save the trees and Mr Hallahan said there had been almost unanimous support.“I have had maybe one objector 80 homes I’ve doorknocked,” he said.

This Google satellite image shows the stand of pine trees running behind McBrien Drive at Kelso

An arborist’s report submitted to council as part of the development application for the new subdivision recommends knocking down all the existing trees on the 36 hectare site.

The report says the trees stand about 25 metres high and about 20 per cent of the trees show signs of drought stress.

It says the new subdivision would further impact on the health of the trees.

“It is recommended that the impact of the sub-division limits the long term survival of the existing trees and therefore my recommendations is to remove all trees, to be replaced with the Bathurst Regional Council streetscape roll-out and recreational areas,” the report states.

“Three trees identified with potential to fall on neighbouring property to be removed as soon as possible.

“An important consideration to remove all existing trees is based on the long-term survival and risk management.

“The replacement with suitable species that can be established to provide amenity values and evolve with the new cultural conditions of the new sub-division will represent a long-term solution for the subdivision.”