An Adelaide council looks at replacing 2000 of its trees in fewer than 3 years — not everyone is happy
A SUBURBAN Adelaide council is sticking by a divisive plan to replace thousands of the trees now lining its streets — including picturesque jacarandas — despite concerns it’ll mean healthy trees are axed.
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AN Unley Council plan to protect its leafy streets is set to go ahead despite fears it might instead lead to the axing of thousands of healthy trees.
A council committee last week endorsed a program to replace 2000 of the district’s trees by 2019.
The plan was criticised when it was released in February, with some residents and Unley MP David Pisoni raising concerns that healthy trees would be felled as a result.
The council wants to reduce its number of jacaranda and Queensland box — which make up 42 per cent of trees in the area — because it is worried about the potential for pest or disease to wipe out the species, and therefore close to half of the district’s tree population.
Mr Pisoni was last week still concerned some of the district’s jacarandas would be axed because of the plan.
“The critical thing here is whether trees with 10, 20 or 30 years of life left in them are being removed because some bureaucrat thinks it is a good idea,” Mr Pisoni said.
Unley Council environment general manager John Devine said no healthy trees would be felled “unless there was significant community support”.
The council’s 2016/17 budget included $250,000 to raze and replace 400 street trees, Mr Devine said.
That included the 36 “poorly performing” white cedar trees that were this year replaced with 43 “semi-mature” Chinese pistachio trees on Ferguson Ave, Myrtle Bank.
The plan was scheduled to be discussed at council meeting on August 29.