Anzac Pde protestors, 2016 Image:ABC.net.au

In 1867, Moore Park was established by Charles Moore, the Mayor of Sydney City Council. Today the park is an essential part of Centennial Parklands. Known as the ‘People’s Park’ and ‘lungs of the city’, the park is of national significance.

In 2016, some of Sydney’s most magnificent heritage fig trees in Moore Park were senselessly destroyed to make way for the SE light rail project. A year later Moore Park is under threat again. This time from major redevelopment plans for Allianz Stadium.

Use this link:  Saving Sydneys’s trees to send a message to your MP asking them to put pressure on the Premier to protect the Park. Then urge your friends to do the same.

Anthony Roberts, Minister for Energy and Member for Lane Cove and the NSW Department of Industry have justified their destruction of old trees in Hunters Hill as ‘authorised vegetation removal’  in their recent letter to the hunters-hill-trust.  

A community committee will review Ausgrid’s guidelines.  Contact Ausgrid’s Vegetation & Inspection Manager, Kevin Hamblin on (02) 4399 8172 to convey your view or if you want further information.

Some good news

10/50 code action in Hunters Hill

Lane Cove image: bugs.bio.usyd.ed.au

Lane Cove Council has had a big win for trees in their area.  Under the 10/50 Code the owners of nearly 90% of Lane Cove properties could cut down trees within 10 metres of their house without council permission.  Huge numbers of trees that presented no bushfire risk have been cut down.  Hunters Hill and other council areas have similar problems.  Lane Cove Council’s bushfire manager worked closely with the Rural Fire Service so now 90% of Lane Cove bushland reserves are safe from the ravages of the 10/50 Code.

How can we stop further loss of parks, bushland and tree canopies?

State government and councils are responsible for a staggering list of recent losses and CURRENT threats:

• New crown land laws will make it easier to sell off or lease open space
• Tree mutilation by Ausgrid
• West Connex taking inner west parkland and chainsawing trees
• Southeast light rail route destroying mature fig trees on Anzac Pde and Alison Rd.  Another 700 trees are at risk
• Proposed land clearing laws will allow more bulldozing of remnant urban bushland
• 16 parks to be sold by Bankstown Council
• Bushland reserves to be cleared in Manly and Hurstville …

Go to the Total Environment Centre petition to say ENOUGH – we care about this.

example in Park Rd, BP

After no response from Anthony Roberts, MP for Lane Cove we contacted the media.  You may have caught some of the outrage aired on ABC Radio.  On 18 September, we attended a community meeting convened by Jo Haylen, MP for Summer Hill and Jamie Parker, MP for Balmain, who were both arguing in the House of Reps for the Minister for Energy to direct Ausgrid to stop lopping trees across the inner west and conservation areas.

Ausgrid was invited to the meeting but did not attend.  It was a passionate, crowded meeting and residents from Leichhardt, Balmain, Marrickville, Haberfield and Hunters Hill all detailed examples of the severity of the chopping, incompetence of the contractors, lack of adequate response from Ausgrid and disinterest of the Minister, Anthony Roberts.

A small win: Ausgrid have made a commitment to reduce the ‘second’ trimming (ie  trimming for regrowth) to 0.5 metres. Jamie Parker’s press release,  Jo Haylen’s press release. 

Ausgrid contractors mutilate 100 yr old box tree

Wybalena Rd, Hunters Hill

Ausgrid is responsible for vandalising Hunters Hill’s street trees. In street after street,  beautiful 100 year old box trees are being irreparably disfigured.

The contractors are not arborists. They have no training. Canopies are disappearing and no regard has been paid to their significance.

Hunters Hill Council’s Tree Officer has been told that “the Electricity Act overrides any Council tree rules“.  Consequently she joined Ausgrid’s Vegetation Management Working Group, which includes professional tree pruners, who are trying to influence Ausgrid – so far with little success.

While poles and wires have to be protected from storm damage, it is absurd to act in this crude, destructive fashion.

The NSW Government is ultimately responsible for Ausgrid’s work.  It seems Mike Baird and his team have no regard for the significance of large, mature trees for people’s health and welfare as well as for landscape and heritage conservation.