MORE than 29,000 votes have been received in an ongoing poll that will help determine what happens with the trees situated in plant boxes throughout the central business district (CBD).
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With the poll open until the end of January, there's still time for things to change, but for now one of the four options has a strong lead.
It seems more people want to see Bathurst Regional Council plant these trees permanently and plant more trees and vegetation in the CBD.
This option has received 49 per cent of the votes, coming in ahead of the option to remove the tree boxes and replant the trees outside of CBD, with no other trees or vegetation to be planted in the CBD.
The latter option has attracted 34 per cent of the vote.
Just a week ago, the position of these two options was reversed.
Council's director of Environmental, Planning and Building Services, Neil Southorn, said the response to the poll was "really pleasing".
"We have received thousands of votes and several hundred comments via the project page on YourSay," he said.
"The project was set up to encourage participation.
"The QR code provides a quick link to the poll so that community members, and visitors, could engage with the project as they walked through the precinct.
"It was deliberately chosen to be as interactive and simple as possible to encourage people who may not usually engage with a council feedback project to take part."
While council is asking the community to provide their opinions on the future of the trees, Mr Southorn said that the outcome of the poll won't be the only factor considered when a decision about the trees is made.
"The poll and comments on the Streets as Shared spaces project are designed to gather a snapshot of community sentiment," he said.
"It is not the only basis for council to decide the future of tree planting in the CBD.
"A report will be prepared for council summarising the consultation under taken in the coming months."
Anyone who wants to provide their feedback can look for the poll on the YourSay Bathurst website or they can be taken to it directly by using the QR code displayed on the boxes in the CBD.
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Rachel Chamberlain
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
