WHAT has prompted me to protest outside our council this week and the next and the next until heard?
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Five 100-year-old oak trees were cut down in my street in South Bathurst.
The property owner did not require approval for this decimation, their block being just 30 metres outside the Heritage Conservation Area.
An application for removal would have been required had they been within this zone, albeit all too easily granted.
Do the concerns of South Bathurst residents matter less than those in the Heritage Area? Do we care less for beauty? The environment? Cooling of our landscape? Or visual/noise mitigation from the adjoining railway/industrial precinct?
Are we not also concerned for the habitat of birds and insects?
There are many instances of trees being cut down recently even within the Heritage Area - eg, healthy trees beside the cathedral on Keppel and William streets as well as at the entrance to the showground. Two iconic landmarks with iconic trees.
And what's with the ridiculous bonsai pot plants in our city streets instead of glorious trees with their roots in the earth?
OTHER RECENT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
We've been told for years there's a problem with underground piping. So fix it. Spend our money and fix it.
We need to haul our Tree Protection Order into modern times and increase canopy cover for our denuded streets, because we regard all our trees as valuable assets and council policies need to reflect this.
