PlanningAlerts

16 Comments

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1. Dear Sir/Madam,
   I would like to object to the removal of the five trees along Old Northern Road for the following reasons:-
   * The trees have been a feature of that stretch of road since I moved into the district with my family as a five year old, some sixty five years ago. To destroy yet another link with the past is, in my opinion, criminal.
   * Apart from habitat loss for creatures living in these ecosystems there will also be a loss of shade and the elimination of an air purification source.
   * I would believe that those trees have been standing since the first white explorers marked the road in those early years and certainly during aboriginal occupation. To destroy them is to destroy another part of the history of the district.
   * Why is Baulkham Hills Council so intent in destroying the bushland in their shire for the sake of urbanisation?
   Why aren’t clever decisions being made to mitigate global warming?

   I strongly object to the destruction of these trees.
   Your sincerely,
   Deirdre Jackson

2. I would like to voice my objection to the proposal to remove 5 trees from council property in front of this proposed development. These trees are a community asset and are both aesthetically and environmentally important - not just to the immediate neighbours but to the entire community.
   1. Aesthetically
   These trees are on the ridge - they are visible from quite some distance away. Their removal would be like a scar across the landscape. They are an important part of the rural character of our area- something council has discussed protecting.
   2. Environmentally
   The trees provide habitat for our native wildlife.
   They also provide shade for those using the footpath. In face council really needs to undertake a tree planting program to provide shade for pedestrians both now and in the future as we deal with rising temperatures.
   Research also indicates that trees clean the air of pollutants. This is a busy road. The air cleaning properties of these trees is important to the surrounding area.

   In summary- these trees are an important community asset and need to be retained.
   Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this DA

3. I would like to object to the removal of the 5 trees from council property in front of this proposed development.

   All of the trees have been removed from this property in the last 12 months already, removing these remaining 5 nearby trees will have a negative impact on the environment and destroy the habitats for the creatures that use the trees to survive and are an essential part of the local ecosystem.
   As the research is increasingly demonstrating, shade from trees is vital to keeping temperatures down to tolerable levels particularly during the hot months.

   It would be great to see Hills Shire Council working along side their neighbouring councils increasing green spaces to support a sustainable ecosystem for the future rather than tearing down existing well established healthy trees.

   I look forward to your consideration on this matter.

4. I would like to add my objection to the removal of the trees from council property. They are iconic in this area and it would be a travesty if they were to be removed.
   They provide welcome shade for pedestrians as well as a safe environment for the creatures who rely on them. Our local area is losing too many trees so it is important to make sure that the ecosystem does not suffer from their removal.

5. To the Hills Shire Council,

   I object to the removal of 5 mature trees on council property. This is inconsistent with council and the state government plans to increase tree canopy. Every effort must be made to ensure these trees survive and thrive during and after this development construction. Sydney is getting hotter and drier and we need trees for shade and to absorb heat and carbon.

   Catherine

6. I object to removing the five established trees from council property as proposed in this development application.

   The evidence shows that trees are vital in helping mitigate the effects of climate change and make the surrounding areas safer and more livable.

   The Hills Shire Council should align with the evidence and state policy to increase tree canopy to provide a sustainable future for the area.

   Given that all the trees on this property have recently been removed, and it does not appear that there are any plans for trees to be planted as part of the development, it's even more critical that these existing trees on council property remain.

7. I object to DA 548/2022/HA at 554 Old Northern Road, Dural for removing 5 mature street trees outside the front boundary.
   I have lived in the district for over fifty years and these trees have been a feature of the street scape which have established the character of Dural and contributed to the reason why this area of the shire is a desirable home ownership location.
   I believe access to the dwellings from Old Northern Road can be provided without the removal of these trees.
   These trees obviously provide a habitat for wildlife in the area. The development site is to be clear felled to accommodate the development thus making the need to retain Council’s trees essential to give displaced wildlife a chance to survive,
   These trees are also essential to provide shade for pedestrians using the footpath. Mature trees such as these also make a significant contribution to the health of nearby residents. They are beneficial in dealing with the vehicular gas emissions from passing traffic. Rather than allowing for the removal of these historic trees, Council should be engaged in an extensive street tree planting program along this road.
   If approval is granted for this DA it must be conditioned so that no damage can be caused to the trees and if a driveway is to be constructed over the root zones of these trees that it be done by an approved construction method which will not adversely impact on the trees.
   The five street trees must not be removed.

8. Excuse me but could you be specific as to what kind of gum tree specifically you are referencing?

   Many thanks

9. Hello councillors, many of the trees in this part of DURAL are dangerous to traffic, pedestrians and homes. Please remove most of them not just 5. The few objectors are a very small minority. I am a local resident and ratepayer.

10. I would like to object to the removal of the 5 trees from council property in front of this proposed development.

    The local ecosystem will be impacted negatively and the native wildlife that resides in that area will suffer.

    These trees are important. You should be planting more, not getting rid of them.

11. I object to the removal of the 5 trees on council property in this application.

    I firmly believe that the removal of these trees will have a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

    Not only will the environment will be affected but I believe this will be an eyesore to surrounding properties and the neighbourhood.

    I believe the Hills Shire Council should be planting more trees not taking down existing trees.

12. I support the application in principle. However, The proposed tree removal is excessive and unreasonable given the proposed location of the dwellings, and driveway. The application fails to provide justification for the removal of the trees which front the site. There is no Arborist Report, nor Traffic Report, to suggest they pose a hazard, or impede driver sight lines. Their proposed removal appears to be based on arbitrary wants, without sufficient reasoning. We request council seek modification of the application to retain as many trees as reasonable which front Old Northern Rd.

13. To whom it may concern,
    I object to the removal of the five old growth trees in this proposal. Not only do trees provide better air quality but they also provide shade and habitat to native species. Trees of this size take many years to grow and the removal of them is taking away the street aesthetic.

14. I object to the removal of the five trees along the Old Northern Road, with exact location specified in the application.

    In addition to the irreversible damage caused to local plant and animal life which would be inevitable following their removal, it would be detrimental to the goals set by the NSW government towards "Greening our city", including a 40% target for tree canopy cover; we are currently at just over halfway and removing trees certainly goes in the opposite direction.
    Also, the preservation of trees on a road as significant as Old Northern Road helps ensure that air quality is also preserved instead of deteriorating towards more tree-absent areas like the CBD.

    The Hills area is known for it's extensive tree network and an image that reflects being dubbed the 'Garden Shire' and the removal of these trees could start the decline of such a beautiful area.

15. Dear Mayor and Council

    Could you please ensure that the 5 mature trees on the nature strip in front of 554 Old Northern Road are saved please?

    They are majestic, provide shade and continue the same trees on either side of them making for the lovely facade as we also drive along the road. Please do the right thing and protect them.

    Kindest Regards,

16. Dear Mayor and Councillors,

    I wish to object to the removal of the 5 mature trees on the nature strip at the front of 554 Old Northern Rd.

    I have lived in the Hills Shire for over 35 years and it saddens me no end to witness the extent of tree loss in our area, particularly in recent years.

    Trees are vital infrastructure and we should make every effort to preserve what we have but also to regenerate and replant what has been lost.
    We need to rapidly increase the tree canopy in certain parts of our Shire to adhere to the State Government's recommendation of 40%. Trees are a crucial part of mitigating carbon emissions and cooling our urban areas. There is overwhelming evidence that trees and shade cool roads and pavement areas by more than 5 degrees C.

    Developers must be encouraged to preserve existing trees and work around them even if it costs them more to do so. Replanting a small young tree is no replacement for clearing large mature trees. Trees need to be highly valued, respected parts of our urban infrastructure providing untold benefits to people, wildlife, birds, and our environment/ climate. Please start to prioritize what is valuable, money cannot bring these trees back, only time will and we are running out of that.

    I feel that it is too easy an excuse to say that this represents a safety issue. Nobody wants traffic accidents/ hazards but humans are clever, there must be a way to ensure safe entry and exit onto the road without destroying these trees. Can the driveway be moved? Is there enough room for exiting cars to move in front of the sight-line of trees before coming out onto the road? Please explore all of the options to allow for both traffic safety and the preservation of these trees.

    It is devastating that we are about to lose 1253 mature trees at the site of the new Mirvac Development, some of these classed as endangered Blue Gum High Forest. The demolition could have been done in an alternative way, conserving these trees if they were indeed seen for their true value.
    Please stop developers from being able to erase our tree canopy and let's educate our wider community on the true value of trees (and how to nurture any newly planted ones) so that they continue to benefit our health and well-being into the future.

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