IN the final days leading up to the recent federal election, a group of concerned citizens removed 37 campaign signs that were nailed and screwed to trees growing on public land along the Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Vittoria.
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This action was not politically motivated; it was environmentally motivated.
There was no favouring one candidate over another. Any sign that was illegally hammered and screwed onto a tree on public land was removed and returned to its owners.
Beforehand, Bathurst Regional Council was asked if it could remove the signage. Council replied that due to staff shortages, it could not.
The best the council could do was to ask all campaigns to remove all illegal signage.
Even after this was done, the signs were not removed.
Campaign signs were along all the major roads leading to and from Bathurst (and many minor roads). Hundreds of signs affixed to trees, illegally.
RECENT ECO NEWS COLUMNS:
A couple of weeks ago, five Oak trees, all about 100 years old, were removed from privately owned land on Bant Street. The land was just outside Bathurst Council's heritage zone.
If the trees were inside the zone, they might have been spared.
These trees, like all trees, are nature's way of capturing carbon, keeping it from the atmosphere.
Trees provide shade, and via transpiration, act as very large evaporative air-conditioners. In this time of climate change, we need all the trees we can get.
Bathurst has a heritage of trees that extends well beyond Machattie Park and the current heritage zone.
What can be done to protect them? How can it be said that we value our city when we allow our trees to be treated in this way?
We all need to discover the beauty and value of our trees.
The Bathurst Community Climate Action Network is asking Bathurst residents to post photos on Facebook and Instagram of their favourite trees, using the hashtag #savebathurststrees.
Make sure you tell us why you love these trees.
As this is done, maybe more of us can come to appreciate the deep heritage of Bathurst's trees and the stories they hold.
Then something might be done to protect them.
