Bye Bye Big Figgy
Big Fig Tree Fight
Big Figgy in Rex Smeal Park is on its way down, tree cutters moving in early Monday morning to start the process with the number of police and security guards matching the workforce… and not a sign of protest or resistance.
With Supreme Court action from community campaigner Melina Capegrecco retracted last week, Douglas Shire Council announced the removal of the fig tree for safety reasons would recommence having been stopped on October 20.
And while messages of disappointment and calls for council to release the full arborists reports council used to determine the tree must be removed continue on social media platforms, those who turned up to Monday’s start of the removal went only to say farewell.
Kuku Yalanji woman Shanelle Lenoy sat under a nearby tree to weave and grieve as the chainsaw and woodchipper screeched in the background
“It’s just very sad. I know the council makes their decisions and has their engineers and experts to deem what’s unsafe, however this is a very old tree and it has been here for a long time,’’ she said.
“As you can see, there’s a lot of wildlife utilising the ecosystem that this tree has to offer.
“My cousin got married here earlier this year under that tree. “It’s just very sad that this has to go.
“I take walks down here a lot. I’ve come and sat here. I have told my Elders as well, the family, how sad it is that it is going. So I said I’ll just come and sit and weave.’’
The reports commissioned by Council found fungal decay had "severely compromised the structural integrity of several load-bearing limbs" and confirmed that while “crown reduction” can reduce loading and branch failures, it "cannot restore structural capacity already lost to decay, cracking or delamination, nor can it slow or stop progressive fungal decay".
In Douglas Shire Council’s release announcing the continuation of the removal of the tree, it stated thermal imaging, which detected no wildlife, including birds or mammals last month, also revealed temperature variations, which was identified as being indicative of fungal decay throughout the tree.
"While we recognise the grief and disappointment many people feel, we must also ensure Rex Smeal Park remains a safe place for residents, visitors and families," Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said.
Senior ecologist Noel Preece, contracted by Douglas Shire Council for the task, conducted a visual check of the tree and was on scene throughout the day’s operations.
