TREES GONE: Residents stumped over what will replace large trees

WHAT NOW?

David Gardiner

Journalist

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Just a stump remains of one of the large rosewood trees in Warner St. All pictures: Rosie Wang

As we foreshadowed last week – large trees earmarked for removal in Warner Street, Port Douglas, have now been removed by Douglas Shire Council contractors.

Stumps are now all that remain of the trees, removed as part of major new drainage works in the street.

Four of the rosewood trees were earmarked for removal because one was according to a Council media release, “out of alignment to the other trees and is much closer to the kerb” and the other three, “located directly above where the new underground drainage will be installed.”

But residents are not too happy about the way the tree felling has been conducted.

For one, there are questions about whether “extra” trees have been taken down over and above the ones earmarked and explained to residents at an on-site meeting last week. 

Rosie Wang, a resident who initially alerted us to the on-site meeting with Council officers, said the reason given why one of the large trees was sawn down was because of an overhead power line: “Did it need to be killed? Why not just pruned back?” she asked.

Ms Wang said the ‘extra’ trees taken down – a beechwood and a cottonwood – weren’t discussed at the meeting. 

Another resident who attended, Danielle Piat, said she was also concerned that more of the much-loved large trees might die once the drainage works are done. 

“I guess we have to wait until the drainage works are complete,” Ms Piat told Newsport.

“I fear the trees they left will also die as a result of the work about to commence so we may lose that entire section,” she said.

The street’s residents have been informed by Council that it will replace one of the large trees. 

But one new tree, to replace at least four of five that will probably go, might leave the street lacking both shade and aesthetic appeal. 

Ms Wang said that maybe Council should consider other, lower plantings.

“Maybe they could plant some shrubbery or something like that,” Ms Wang said.

Ms Piat agreed: “Yes definitely there needs to be some planting of some sort otherwise it will just be a line of parked cars - which would make the mechanic happy - but not a nice ‘entrance’ to ‘Rosewood avenue’.”

A tree cut down because of an overhead power line.
Another tree stump, next to Port Douglas Backpackers.

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