Hobsons Bay Council removes 160 trees along Bay Trail at Altona Meadows

Hobsons Bay locals have labelled their council’s decision to remove over 150 trees the “ultimate irony” after bowing to a petition by nearby homeowner concerned about obstructed views. Have your say in our poll.

Council workers have removed over 150 condemned trees as community groups label;ed the process the “ultimate irony”.

Hobsons Bay Council staff have revealed the fate of trees removed from the Bay Trail at Altona Meadows following a vote from councillors earlier this month.

Local, Denice Perryman said it was incredibly disappointing to see the trees removed after groups such as the Friends of Skeleton Creek have worked so hard to restore the surrounding area.

Hobsons Bay Council will remove every second tree along the Bay Trail following a petition. Picture: Hobsons Bay Council

After witnessing council workers placing the trees into trucks with signage ‘building our urban forest’, she said the irony was “too much”.

“I am disappointed for trail users and for the habitat lost, and for the lost opportunity,” Ms Perryman said.

“This sets a precedent which means council will not be able to plant in public open space, horrific!”

A Council spokesman said the trees were removed last week after on-site notification and letters to residents.

Some of the trees have been used to replace trees that were vandalised or illegally removed along the Trail.

Others were donated to a community group, and the rest are being replanted at various sites throughout Hobsons Bay.

EARLIER:

More than 150 recently planted trees in parkland in Melbourne’s west are set to be ripped from the ground amid concern that nearby properties will have an obstructed view when the trees mature.

Hobsons Bay councillors endorsed an officer’s recommendation to remove 160 of 320 recently planted trees along Skeleton Creek & Bay Trail at Altona Meadows, following a petition with 345 signatures calling for all of the recently planted Yellow Box (eucalyptus melliodora) trees to be removed.

It has been revealed it cost the council $50 to plant each tree, meaning $8000 was spent on the condemned trees.

The petition requested the removal of all recently planted trees along the Bay Trail West from the rear of Sommers Dr to Gaskell Ct.

The petition claimed there was no consultation with neighbouring properties, no obvious environmental or economic risk assessment, and noted the risk of class action by ratepayers whose land could depreciate by a “conservative” estimate of 10 per cent when the trees grow and obstruct the view.

Melbourne’s west still has the lowest tree canopy cover in Melbourne, with researchers increasingly concerned by the potential environmental, physical, and mental health impacts.

Hobsons Bay Councillors endorsed an officer's recommendation to remove every second tree along the Bay Trail following a petition. Picture: Hobsons Bay Council

Following complaints about the trees, the council conducted a community consultation process which documented overwhelming support for the recent plantings.

The community were asked whether they would like to keep all trees, planted 10m apart, remove every second tree to increase the spacing to 20m, or remove all trees.

A total of 743 submissions were received, from which 697 respondents (94 per cent) requested for all trees to remain.

Only 46 respondents (6 per cent) requested for the trees to be removed.

It follows revelations that at least 42 recently planted trees were vandalised, with several having their central leader removed.

The report recommended that every second tree (160) along the trail be relocated and the lead petitioner be informed of the decision.

The report also noted that while every effort will be made to successfully relocate the trees, there was “considerable risk of tree loss” when transplanting.

Community group Friends of Skeleton Creek were “horrified” by the decision.

Secretary Denice Perryman said it was “nothing short of criminal” that a council striving for 30 per cent tree coverage would actively remove trees.

Community group, Friends of Skeleton Creek recently planted 350 plants at Emu Foot Grassland. Picture: Supplied

“Residents trying to stay fit by taking up active walking and cycling along the trail need shade and some respite in an area which is barren of any tree coverage or any shrubs,” Ms Perryman said.

“The waste of money in putting in the trees and then removing them is short sighted stupidity … why go to the trouble and expense of having council staff survey local residents, if the wishes of the majority are then to be ignored?”

A Hobsons Bay Council spokeswoman confirmed the decision and said the costs would be absorbed in the operational budget.

“The trees were planted by our internal team and cost about $50 per unit, so the cost of 160 trees was $8,000,” the spokeswoman said.

“Before these plantings took place, we did an informative consultation, which included installing signage along the trail, targeting social media posts ... (and) an article in the Hobsons Bay newsletter,” she said.

“We received no negative feedback before these plantings.”

Hobsons Bay Council mayor, Antoinette Briffa said the council recognised it was a “difficult issue” to resolve because community consultation was “less than ideal” prior to the plantings.

Hobsons Bay Council mayor, Antoinette Briffa noted the decision to remove half the trees at Altona Meadows was a "difficult issue". Picture: Supplied

“When issues with neighbouring residents came to light the council officers conducted significant consultation which ultimately resulted in their recommendation that every second tree should be relocated,” Ms Briffa said.

“A majority of Councillors supported that officer recommendation at (the) meeting, while noting it was a difficult decision,” she said.

Removal and relocation of trees will be resourced through the Urban Forest Implementation program.