Image: Greens councillors Dominic Wy Kanak (left) and Ludovico (right). Photo: Dominic Wy Kanak/Facebook
By TILEAH DOBSON
Waverly Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs will be able to tell their neighbours to prune their trees if they block views. They can even request the local council to prune them under a plan that could potentially lead to disputes.
Earlier this month, during the Finance, Operations and Community Services Committee Meeting, councillors voted on changes to the tree management policy and guidelines. The policy will stop new trees from blocking pre-existing views, along with council officers to maintain pruning trees if done so in the past.
Liberal Councillor Sally Betts put forward an amendment that allowed trees to be pruned if they had an impact “on existing views.” Her amendment received the support of fellow Liberal Councillor Will Nemesh, Labor Councillors Michelle Gray, Steven Lewis, Tim Murray and Mayor Paula Masselos.
Cr Betts spoke to City Hub, saying that the council had been “planting the wrong species of tree which then grows to take away pre-existing views has been going on for years.”
“Council planting big growing trees and bushes along the cliff edge taking away an opportunity to whale watch for both residents and visitors is rampant and has to stop,” she said.
“This was in a council report going on exhibition but residents have been complaining for years.”
However, the Greens on the council disagree with the amendments as Councillor Ludovico Fabiano believes these “do not align with the community views.”
“Waverley Council has a legal obligation to preserve trees and vegetation under the provisions of the NSW Planning and Assessment Act 1979,” he told City Hub.
“It also has a quest of increasing Waverley’s tree canopy to mitigate the heat island effect from the lack of trees in our suburbs. We also do not support the loss of habitat and food source for our local fauna with the cutting down of trees.”
“The amendments will certainly create concerns and divide the community and has the potential to create further neighbourhood disputes.”
First Nation and fellow Greens member, Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak voiced his support for revisions to Waverly’s tree management policy leading to “a proper recognition of, and protection for, the significant importance of trees as living assets ‘of heritage, cultural, social, and ecological Value’ to the ‘Community Estate’ and important ‘Sentient Beings’ in First Nations Custodianship of Country.’”
“It is curious that some perspectives on trees don’t appreciate trees as part of a view rather than considering trees as an impediment to a view,” he told City Hub.
“I hope the public submissions returning to council in response to the new tree management policy exhibition for community comment will provide [the] council with a critical mass of support for ameliorating the unnecessary removal and pruning of trees in the public and private domain.”
The public will be able to give their feedback on the updated tree policy before councillors decide on the acceptance of the changes.
