King Georges Rd upgrade: Council ponders legal action to halt RMS tree removal

We need to save our trees: That is the desperate plea from Canterbury Bankstown Council as it explores legal option to stop RMS from chopping down 22 trees for the expansion of King Georges Rd at Wiley Park.

RMS wants to cut down 22 trees at Wiley Park for the extension of Georges Rd. Picture: Carmela Roche

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Canterbury Bankstown Council — fed up with Roads and Maritime Services over its plans to chop down 22 trees for the expansion of King Georges Rd at Wiley Park — says it is now considering legal options to stop it.

The decision to investigate all legal options was unanimously passed at last week’s council meeting, after it was pointed out some of the trees are of Aboriginal importance.

The council said if the claims about the trees having Aboriginal importance was proved and the trees are removed, “the NSW Government may be prosecuted by the Land and Environment Court, for “ … knowingly causing harm to an Aboriginal object”, in breach of the National Parks and Wildlife Act, which holds a penalty of $1,100,000”.

Mayor Khal Asfour and Deputy Mayor Clare Raffan are keen to explore legal options to stop the trees from being cut down.

Previously, RMS said it was consulting the council for the planned upgrade which aimed to reduce travel times for motorists at the intersection of King Georges and Canterbury roads. RMS has said it would plant five trees for each one removed at Wiley Park.

Mayor Khal Asfour, who praised the Express and the community for supporting the campaign to save the trees, revealed RMS plans would only save 32 seconds of travel time.

“I find it amazing that in one breath, the government wants to introduce a new Minister for Open Space, and in the next wants to take away open space and critically endangered ecological trees,” Mayor Asfour said.

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“The belligerence of RMS forced us to launch a public shame campaign on social media and in the local media, and the response was overwhelming. The support from the Express, local residents and even visitors to our city was amazing.”

Deputy Mayor Clare Raffan, who wanted the council to pursue any legal options to save the trees, said green spaces were very important.

“Council has been doing everything it can to stop RMS from removing these trees from Wiley Park,” Cr Raffan told the Express.

“Protecting our city’s green spaces is of the utmost importance to council, and while ever there are chances to save Wiley Park, we will continue to pursue every avenue we can, including investigating legal options, to stop RMS removing these trees.”

Last year council said the RMS took away almost half of Stevens Reserve in Bankstown (200 sqm) for road widening.