Residents of a Kingsville street, including Kylie McIntosh, her two year old daughter Jessie and Danielle with 18-month-old Adelaide, hope some of the area’s trees can be saved during roadworks. 74735 Picture: EMILY LANE
By Alesha Capone
RESIDENTS of a Kingsville street have welcomed a Maribyrnong City Council decision, which could save a number of trees slated for removal during a road upgrade.
Last week, resident Kylie McIntosh said she was horrified at the potential elimination of 23 mature trees in Queensville St.
After contacting other residents, Ms McIntosh said she received around 25 responses from people who were also concerned about the trees.
The council had sent out a letter to residents and held a meeting about the possible removal, but Ms McIntosh said she had been unable to attend, along with a number of other interested residents.
The letter said the Queensville St works involved re-sheeting the road and replacing the bluestone kerb and channel from Webb St to Somerville Rd, and installing underground drainage – which could damage tree roots.
Ms McIntosh said that the anger and dismay voiced by residents was partly due to the same problem having already occurred at the other end of Queensville St earlier in the year, when the council advised that approximately 18 mature trees were to be removed owing to potential root damage associated with road improvement works.
It was only after action by residents and intervention by Cr Michael Clarke that an additional review of these trees was undertaken, with the second review finding that only six of the 18 trees actually needed to be removed.
Ms McIntosh said that residents are concerned that the council is not receiving the best possible advice on this issue and she has suggested that an independent arborist consultant review the trees targeted in this round of street works.
“While it has been acknowledged that the council has tried to engage with the community through the street meetings, there’s quite a lot of anger and frustration at the apparent inconsistencies in council’s approach to ‘tree issues’” she said.
Ms McIntosh said residents were also worried the tree removal could affect ‘amenity value’ in the street and that a number of people have cited the attractive leafy streetscape as part of the reason they moved into the area.
However, after she contacted the council and asked them to review the decision, Cr Clarke stopped the project and organised another community meeting.
“The principle we are working to whenever possible is we want all trees to stay,” he said.
