The group leading the protest against the removal of the four mature Evergreen Ash from Boonah’s main street have made a final plea to Councillors before Monday’s vote.
A Council officer review of the issues surrounding the fate of the trees is included in the agenda for the Council bimonthly Council meeting.
The review takes in issues ranging from a detailed outline of the consultation process through to decision to remove the tree to enable engineering solutions to construction problems and the potential for the tree seedlings to infiltrate nearby bushland.
The review and report concludes that the removal of the trees is the appropriate outcome.
Chris Bowman, on behalf of the group which initiated the protest, has made the plea to save the trees through a letter to all the Councillors.
“This is not a radical Greenie group stirring people,” she said. “On the contrary, the passion of people from all political walks and ages on this topic is so palpable in this community now - it is unprecedented cooperation.”
And she notes that the petition to save the trees contained 1,300 signatures and the online petition now has more than 800 signatures.
“If during all the consultations stated at the onset that “this revitalisation plan requires the removal of four established trees in the centre of town, the uproar would have happened years ago,” Ms Bowman said.
“But no, the removal was apparently hidden in beautifully designed plans that did not speak the truth to casual lookers.”
And she asked Councillors to honestly look at their role in maintaining a unique and shaded street in a booming tourist area.
“Please also let common sense prevail as there are viable alternatives to their removal.”
While the alternatives may include expenditure such as a $100,000 Gross Pollutant Trap she argued that the costings had not included the money saved by leaving the trees in place.
“And frankly I’m surprised that there isn’t a pollutant trap in the stormwater drains considering that everything washed from the street and footpath ends up in the waterways.”
Ms Bowman’s letter to Council addressed each of the alternative options which were offered and then dismissed in the Council report.
“And if the power pole outside the Boonah Post Office, which is the reason for one of the removals, can’t be moved until April 2021, has Council asked for an extension of time from two levels of government which are funding the work and currently require it to be completed before that date?
“Alternatively, if the pedestrian crossing on the southern side has to be moved further up the street, why does it mean the Council would have to buy the Maynard laneway?
“Losses of carparking spaces could be reduced to one if there was a will to find solutions to the issues that Council has raised.”
Ms Bowman concludes by asking the Councillors to vote to save the trees on Monday.
“In the risk assessment outlined by the Council officers, I believe they have grossly understated the residual risk to public perception of Council and Councillors should the streetscape be reduced by these four trees.”
