By Ann Marie Angebrandt
WYNDHAM City Council has been forced to return to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over the removal last September of cypress trees on Princes Highway, after discovering the replacement trees it was required to plant cannot be found anywhere in Australia.
After protesters objected, the council was required by VCAT to replace the nine historic golden cypress trees with new trees of the same type. But after a nationwide search that included commercial tree nurseries, the CSIRO Australian Seed Centre in Canberra and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, the council has discovered the cultivar cannot be obtained.
Protesters say they warned the council before the trees were axed, amid significant community objection. “We’re not surprised at all, because that’s what happens when you have a council that is hell-bent on using its authority,” said protester Lori McLean.
The council voted to remove nine of the 16 trees, planted at least 60 years ago between Wattle Ave and Tower Rd, due to safety concerns.
VCAT had given the council until the end of this month to replace the axed trees.
Wyndham’s manager of city presentation, Lois Binnie, said in letter to the protesters that the council must now either amend its permit so it can plant a different species, or obtain a two-year extension to allow for the drafting and growing of new golden cypress trees.
Protesters say they are also concerned that the remaining trees are not being correctly maintained. William Strong sent photographs to the council showing that some of the remaining trees now have dead branches suspended in their canopies.
“These once-glorious iconic trees were admired as a beautiful gateway to our city, and I would be very disappointed to see any more consigned to the mulching machine,” he said in a letter to the councillors.
