PlanningAlerts

3 Comments

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1. Hello, Is there a plan to replant natives in place of the casuarinas that are being removed?
   It would be good if those that are removed (that are sick or dead) are replaced by healthy trees/plants (nearby) so that we do not reduce our tree canopy, and native vegetation.
   I travelled through Northern Sydney last week and saw that through Putney, Turramurra, Wahroonga, Pymble and Waitara etc along the main roads and back roads, the large trees, the beautiful towering gums look healthy and well maintained and create a wide and cool canopy and beautiful landscape. A beautiful tree avenue and leafy neighbourhood increases property values. Trees are also linked to a sense of well-being.
   I think we could have that here and some streets have taller gums or trees retained, but many trees have been removed for developments or footpaths lifting, where in another Council area they may have been retained. Since my childhood here, many tall healthy gums, and paperbarks have been cut/ removed and not replaced by tall gums/natives. I have observed dozens of large trees in nearby suburbs removed in the last fifteen years (and most without a replacement tree). In my street several houses have cleared out large areas of vegetation, including shrubs and medium fruit trees e.g. mango in the last year without replanting. This is lost canopy and lost habitat.
   We need every street to have shade so that there is respite from the heat, to save people from heatstroke, to give birds and animals homes and to keep the moisture in the soil... We all need to be encouraged to plant, and to look after our street and garden trees, and to make habitat for birds and wildlife.
   Perhaps Council could allocate more funds towards supporting people to replant (a mix of understory and canopy plants), perhaps more bush-care officers could be allocated to give advice/visit streets to create more habitat areas for native birds and animals and to educate the community about canopy and our wildlife. I remember there used to be a program to educate people about blue tongues as some members of the community are unfamiliar and try to kill or remove blue tongues thinking they are dangerous.
   I know the Bushcare officers are doing a great deal, which is why it would make sense to expand this unit and to support their work. And to expand the budget for planting canopy trees and revegetating our suburbs. So much development is happening and clearing with it. As the climate warms, the need for shade/cooling/moisture retention grows greater and people need to be reminded of the valuable services that our plants and trees provide and to have some monitoring and checks in place so that trees that are removed (for valid reasons – because they are dead or dying) have something suitable planted in their place/or nearby.

2. Well said Sophia I agree,

   “A beautiful tree avenue and leafy neighbourhood increases property values.
   Trees are also linked to a sense of well-being”

   Even if financial gain is our only motivation, how long is it going to take for us to realise trees will increase the value of our house/property/suburb. It's a win, win, the environment and our finances will both improve with the planting of many more trees.

3. Thanks Carol, I hear you too. It is a win win, and people seem to forget how much trees provide. Just now I am looking out at a gum tree I planted when I moved in, some fifteen years ago and it is full of lorrikeets today, is frequented by magpies, currawongs, a masked woodswallow, crested pigeons, the occasional cockatoo and crimson rosella pair. Little ringtail possums are making a good lifestyle in the paperbark, gums and macadamia we planted, and able now to go from tree branch to tree branch without having to cross the ground to find blossums. We have so many species of skink in the leaf litter, three toed, legless, blue tongue and common varieties. Not to mention all the smaller creatures. When I see others creating gardens that provide shade, flowers/seeds and habitat, it brings over time more diversity and supports the needs of other creatures - like black cockatoos visiting nearby banksia and grevillea. So hard to also watch the opposite, to see trees and whole gardens taken out without a second thought for what else lives there (the loss of honeyeaters here... occurred after two neighbouring gardens removed most of their vegetation and left it bare - over many years). This sounds small scale, but amplified and repeated has big impacts. Cities and suburbs can host a wide diversity of life and we all have our part to play. Surely there can be a way to do our best to retain plantings where-ever possible and to support the diversity of life there currently and do our best to increase it...
   By working with diversity, rather than removing it, we create more beauty, shade, and sustenance for all. (And increase property values).

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