Level Crossings: Anger over plans to cut down Mont Albert’s avenue Of honour

Removing level crossings is a good thing, but removing trees planted in honour of fallen Diggers? Not so much — and it’s causing anger in Whitehorse.

A suburban council will join locals to fight contentious plans to chop down trees planted in Mont Albert more than 50 years ago to honour World War I veterans.

Whitehorse councillors fear the Level Crossing Removal Authority will “moonscape” existing greenery and longstanding trees when it begins works to remove the Union Rd, Surrey Hills and Churchill St, Mont Albert level crossings this month.

The authority plans to build a new combined Mont Albert and Surrey Hills station in between the crossings as part of its works.

In the path is nine trees in an avenue of honour near the railway line along Churchill St in Mont Albert, planted by locals in 1965 to honour its fallen veterans.

The authority also plans to fence off the Lorne Parade reserve for the duration of the project.

A motion by councillor Amanda McNeill urging the state government to protect and retain the avenue of honour, along with significant trees in nearby Churchill St and Lorne Parade, was passed unanimously at Monday night’s meeting.

Cr McNeill said the LXRA was showing “arrogance” in wanting to remove the trees and believed there were options to save them.

“I’m very angry, these trees are not right against where the rail line is,” she said.

“We must tell the Level Crossing Removal Authority and the state government that moonscaping our heritage is totally unacceptable.”

Four of the trees in the avenue of honour are dedicated to members of the Head family — William, Fawcett, Gordon and Rowland — who all served in World War I.

John Trevorrow, a direct descendant of the family, said the authority would leave “a concrete scar” on the area if they chopped down the trees honouring his great uncles.

“I’d like to think they can try a bit harder to find an alternative,” he said.

“What might just be a temporary convenience for engineers and project people leaves a permanent scar on a beautiful landscape.

“It’s disrespectful to the local community and the sacrifices of all young men in the district who served and died in the great war.”

The LXRA did not find any documents to suggest the nine trees were part of a war memorial following consultation with the Surrey Hills Historical Society and a local RSL sub-branch.

LXRA program director Steve Brown said the authority had worked hard to minimise the number of trees to be removed and merging the two stations would save trees, homes and businesses.

“We will plant more than 52,000 new trees, shrubs and plants across the project,” he said.

“Two locals were recently killed at these level crossings and their removal will improve safety and slash congestion.”

The council will ask the authority to explore concerns about access for the elderly and people with disabilities to the new station, with fears some will have to walk up to 400m to the new station.