DESI slaps Savannah Seven with stop work order after tree clearing at Atherton Arboretum
New owners of an Atherton historic site have been slapped with an immediate stop work order after bulldozers mowed down a number of protected trees at former Tropical Research Centre.
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New owners of an Atherton historic site have been slapped with an immediate stop work order after bulldozers mowed down a number of protected trees at a former CSIRO research station.
Early on Thursday earthmoving equipment began clearing trees from the Atherton Arboretum at Maunds Rd despite trees and buildings being the subject of a pending Heritage Register application.
For most of the day the bulldozers clear felled trees planted in the 1970s by scientists working with the Tropical Research Centre.
The centre closed in mid-2022 and was sold in November last year for $1.3m to Savannah Seven.
Founder of the Save the Atherton Arboretum group Gemma Horner reported the land clearing to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
The authority took immediate action and issued a stop order on June 13 under the Queensland Heritage Act.
But not before an estimated 15 per cent of the site had been cleared.
“Thankfully they worked from the back of the property forward because it was not visible from the road,” she said.
“There’s a lot of destruction and a lot of trees on the ground, they have definitely cleared a portion of land and some significant trees.”
The maximum penalty for contravening a stop order is $2.6m.
Under the Queensland Heritage Act it’s understood that while a property is being assessed no significant destruction of cultural values is permitted.
In response to the alleged tree removal the department is investigating further action it may take against Savannah Seven under the Act.
“I know what they did was wrong but I don’t know if it was unlawful,” Ms Horner said.
“(Authorities) can see there are significant state values in that site and have recommended it to the independent Queensland Heritage Council.”
On May 29 the DESI recommended to the Queensland Heritage Council that the Atherton Arboretum be entered on the Queensland Heritage Register.
The council is set to consider the application on June 21.
Likely protection of the site and loss of some trees was a bittersweet moment for Ms Horner who has worked tirelessly to protect the historic site for two years.
“I’m so thankful to the minister for signing off on the stop order,” she said.
“We don’t want to shut-out all development and 1.2ha of the site was not included in the heritage application, but efforts to work with the landholder have been unsuccessful.”
Due to the trees being planted on freehold land there is no requirement for an operation works permit from Atherton Shire Council to remove cultivated trees.
Efforts to contact Savannah Seven have been unsuccessful.
Originally published as DESI slaps Savannah Seven with stop work order after tree clearing at Atherton Arboretum
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