Controversy surrounding the culling of plane trees from the town CBD could be set to reignite this week when Councillor Mal Peters formally moves to stop further removals of the trees by Inverell Shire Council.
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Fourteen plane trees have been removed by the local authority since August 2015 and about 37 more are still slated to go.
“Council said it would only remove five to six trees that were causing damage,” Cr Peters said.
Current plans will eventually see the trees removed from a section of Byron Street between Otho and Wood Streets; and along Otho Street from its start at the T-intersection at Byron down to the corner of Henderson Street.
The decision triggered fierce community debate throughout much of 2016.
“I think people are probably generally over it,” Cr Peters said of the possible community response to his decision to raise the issue again.
“[But] there’s a lot not doing damage and it’s stupid to remove them.
“It costs a significant amount of money to remove the trees and it costs a significant amount to replace them.”
Cr Peters said he is also concerned about the quality of the canopy offered by the species of trees chosen to replace the plane trees.
“One of the reasons I came to Inverell was because it was a beautiful town. The appearance of the town is very much predicated on [the plane trees] and by their bushy canopy.
“It’s also pretty nice to park under them in summer to get some cool relief.
“To waste all that money for an inferior appearance to the town … I can’t understand why.”
Inverell Shire Council general manager Paul Henry said removals only targeted the plane trees planted in concrete pipes. The pipes had failed to contain the spread of roots causing ongoing damage to footpaths and other infrastructure, and triggering continuous repair costs.
“It is only realistic to make permanent repairs to infrastructure once the trees have been removed,” he said.
The removals are being staggered in accord with budget considerations and to avoid “unreasonably impacting on the urban canopy”.
“Council values the importance of a suitable urban canopy in the CBD,” Mr Henry said, adding that since June 2014, the authority has also “planted in excess of 200 advanced trees in around the town centre”.
Cr Peters will present his motion at the Inverell Shire Council meeting on Wednesday, August 23, at 3pm.
