A PROPOSAL to develop better ways to preserve trees in subdivisions has received cautious support amid ongoing concerns about eucalypts’ suitability near homes.
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Orange councillor Stephen Nugent moved on Tuesday night to prepare a report on options to cut the number of significant trees removed or destroyed in new subdivisions and infill developments, ensure the survival of trees retained in those developments and maximise the survival rate of replacement trees.
He pointed to a number of recent council meetings where tree removal had been raised as a concern and it was not simply an environmental issue.
“It’s also an economic issue because our city is known as the Colour City and one of the big reasons for that is our trees,” he said.
However, councillor Sam Romano said attention needed to be paid to the types of street trees planted, pointing to the number of footpaths and roads damaged by tree roots in the older parts of Orange.
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“I’m not suggesting for one minute that we rip them out but we need to be mindful of what is planted,” he said.
He added an extra provision to the motion to assess prospective trees for suitability in urban environments.
Councillor Kevin Duffy agreed, pointing to problems with eucalypts in Kara Place and Sunny South Circuit.
Councillor Jeff Whitton said there had been trees presenting a danger over the years, which the council could not cut down without bringing arborists in, and trees were removed from subdivisions as a last resort.
“To say that we willy nilly cut trees down is probably not actually true,” he said.
Councillor Russell Turner voted against the motion, saying it “would only add another layer of bureaucracy”.
He pointed to Westlea, which had few trees as a dairy farm, but became covered in them once the subdivision was developed.
“One of the reasons that some of the newer areas aren’t becoming covered in vegetation as quickly is because of our water restrictions and the cost of water.”