Re the article ‘‘Rethink on trees: Shire losing more than 100 trees a week’’ (Leader, April 14).
The Sutherland Shire is changing, for the worse. The headline in the Leader telling us that the shire is losing 100 trees a week does not come as a huge surprise.
Green Sutherland is disappearing and it will not reappear with the current council replacement plan of 4:1 on development sites and 2:1 elsewhere.
The report shows that replacement trees are not being planted in the prescribed numbers.
Of equal importance is any reassurance that replacement trees are being looked after during our current long spell of inadequate rainfall.
There seems to be no monitoring of any replacements.
The loss of tree canopy is very much in the front of my mind as a very large tree next door, one of the biggest in the neighbourhood, is at the mercy of yet another property duplication as is occurring in many streets in the shire.
This tree has a canopy of some 40-50 square metres and was said by the arborist to be of ’high retention value’ and of ’amenity to the site and adjoining properties’.
Too true but, despite this, the tree is probably doomed.
The neighbours will miss it greatly as it provides cover for many different species of birds, it gives shade in the summer months and is a joy to look at all year round.
To suggest that four replacement trees are adequate is laughable. Where will they be planted and how long will it take to replace the lost canopy and, will they ever have a chance to grow?
This tree will join the thousands of other trees lost in the cause of duplication with apparently no thought being given to the noise, dust and vehicle problems inflicted on the neighbours during construction who will also lose amenity and property value.
What are council’s priorities?
Harvey Langford, Miranda
Sutherland Shire "losing over 100 trees a week" is not the shire I want to live in. How sad it is to see the obsession with chopping down every big tree in the shire and the continuing loss of canopy. What a horrible world we are leaving for our children.
Jennifer Lette
Most of those new ones planted tend to die.
Ross Deutschbein
Here are some tree facts! Trees clean the air, trees provide oxygen, trees cool the streets, trees conserve energy, trees saves water, trees help prevent water pollution, trees shield people from ultra violet light, trees provide a canopy for habitat/wildlife, trees increase property values.
Please leave the trees alone!
Bianca Glendinning
They cut the ones we want kept but you’re not allowed to get rid of a dangerous, nuisance non-native!
Danielle Freeman