45 Degree Tree Rule: Shoalhaven Council to vote on amendments, Carlene Timbs not allowed to speak

The head of a campaign aimed at keeping a south coast tree removal rule untouched after her husband was killed has been refused the chance to speak at a looming council meeting.

Carlene Timbs has been refused the chance to speak at tonight’s Shoalhaven City Council meeting, regarding changes to the 45 Degree Tree rule. The Mayor says a campaign representative is already scheduled.

The leader of a campaign aimed at keeping a south coast tree removal rule untouched after her husband was killed by vegetation which struck their home says she has been refused the chance to speak at a council meeting.

The highly discussed ‘45 Degree Tree Rule’ in the Shoalhaven was mentioned at Shoalhaven City Council’s ordinary meeting on Monday night.

Councillors voted on whether amendments to the rule would go forward, after community submissions on the proposed changes closed.

Leader of the Human Lives Over Trees campaign, Carlene Timbs has been fighting to keep the rule as is after a tree fell on her bedroom in 2002, killing her husband.

Carlene Timbs says she is not allowed to speak at the meeting.

Gordon Timbs was killed when a gumtree fell on his south coast home in 2002.

However, she said her chance to speak at the meeting – which determined whether changes go through to make it harder for residents to remove vegetation from their land – has been squashed by the Mayor.

“Sadly, Mayor Amanda Findley didn’t think I had anything important or new to say on the 45 Degree Rule and has refused my application for deputation to council,” she said.

Ultimately, council voted to pass the amendments, however it wasn’t long before councillors against the amendments lodged a rescission motion, which will see the topic debated again in two weeks, halting amendments from coming into action as of yet.

Currently, the rule (which has been in place since 2004) allows residents to remove trees which they believe pose a threat of falling on their property without council consent.

The voted through amendments will now only allow residents to only remove trees if there is immediate danger it will fall on a property within a 12 month time frame. However, they will not come into effect until after the new debate in two weeks time.

The 45 Degree Tree Rule has been in place since 2004.

Mayor Findley said Ms Timbs was refused t0 speak at last night’s meeting because a representative for the campaign was already scheduled to speak.

“Code of meeting practice only allows one speaker,” she said.

“We already have one speaker against the amendment, who is not Carlene.

“All councillors are familiar with her story and she has addressed council three, maybe four times now on this issue.”

If the amendments are voted through again in two weeks, changes will be put in place for a 12-month trial.

The new amendments are not the first time Ms Findley has attempted to change the rule, however. Just a few years ago, she attempted to remove the rule altogether, but was met with major community backlash.

“She very quickly removed that motion when that happened,” Shoalhaven City Council Deputy Mayor, Paul Ell said.

Mr Ell has been a vocal supporter of the Human Lives Over Trees campaign and said there was no need to change the rule.

Shoalhaven City Council Mayor, Amanda Findley.

“I have stood with Carlene Timbs and everyone across the community, fighting to keep the 45 Degree Rule,” he said.

“This rule was introduced to protect lives, but the Mayor and her Greens colleagues are obsessed with trying to get rid of it.

“I will continue to fight hard on behalf of the community to reject this Greens’ ideological obsession and keep the 45 Degree Rule in place.”