Orange City Council says it welcomes comment on the new grand design (Central Western Daily, September 15) for the Bloomfield Sporting Precinct, and plans an online meeting for public comment (CWD, September 16) on the proposal to remove three times as many trees as originally approved.
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With the original DA to remove 259 trees there was just one public meeting with 30 minutes only for questions, and no debate.
The public made 177 written submissions on the original DA.
The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces office described any more than 25 submissions as "controversial", needing "careful attention".
[Some] 89 per cent of the submissions were against the proposal.
Yet Council elected to ignore the input of its citizens.
Now it has changed plans and invites comment on removing more than three times the 203 trees approved by Heritage NSW.
The mayor and his followers promote their version of democracy, of giving the community a say.
But when it doesn't suit them, they ignore it.
So much for democracy.
The mayor, despite all his horticulture training and experience, still doesn't understand the importance of mature trees in providing shade and reducing the urban heat island effect, nor their contribution to public well being and the amenity of our city.
With all the planned new planting, it will take many many years to match the enormous value of the trees council seeks to remove.
Our children and our grand children will be the losers.
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