Tree, 300 years old, cut down for school

A huge tree already a century old when Captain James Cook sailed past Brisbane will be felled to make way for a school expansion.

huge 300 year old ironbark to be cut down for smart state academy

IT was a century old when Captain James Cook sailed past Moreton Bay, but a huge grey ironbark will be felled to make wayfor an expansion of the Toowong “Smart State’’ Academy despite its grandeur.

Wildlife ecologist Iris Hing said an arborist had ­estimated the tree, one of 59 large trees to go at the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) site, was more than 300 years old.

Dust and runoff from trucks and heavy equipment into Toowong Creek is concerning residents.

“It is 30m tall and is an important landmark and foraging tree for native birds, flying foxes and other mammals when they are feeding and navigating through suburbia,’’ Ms Hing said.

“Information provided by the Queensland Herbarium was able to provide a qualified estimate as to the tree’s age, which dates back before the arrival of Captain Cook and was probably a part of the bushlands the Jagera and Turrbal people utilised.

“Imagine the carbon offset value ... from our preliminary calculations, a native hardwood tree with a 3m circumference (near chest level) would have total carbon stored of around 3091 kg. “That’s about 11,334kg of carbon dioxide that would be lost in carbon storage there if the tree is allowed to be destroyed.’’

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Ms Hing said because Brisbane was losing more of its green space each year, connection to country for present and future indigenous people was becoming more difficult.

The tree should be protected under the state Natural Assets Local Law 2003 as a “significant native vegetation’’ tree, but because it was on state land Brisbane City Council did not have jurisdiction, she said.

QASMT is being expanded from senior years only to Years 7-12.

This ironbark, estimated to be 300 years old, will be felled to make way for an expansion of QASMT.

“It’s utterly incomprehensible that a science-based school would even contemplate removing this tree, let alone planning to do so,’’ Ms Hing said.

“Instead, they should adopt a progressive stance and involve the creek’s ecology and history of the tree into their curriculum.

“Other Brisbane secondary schools in fact travel to this part of Toowong Creek to do ecological assessments using transects.’’

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The Department of Education has previously said it widely consulted with residents and was taking all measures to reduce environmental impacts, including run-off into Toowong Creek and disturbance to wildlife.

The Save Toowong Creek group has set up a Facebook page with a petition to save the tree. Search for “Large development threat to Toowong Creek and its wildlife’’ on “current petitions’’ on the State Government website, or click on this link:

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details? id=3031&fbclid=IwAR0p-KsMeGYQmVtQlkfqSpxx-sbiUZWpI4SgyGdKTwwhydMtxfzNKQAtE_U

More than 700 people have so far signed the petition.