Coconut trees culling concerns

ICONIC PALMS

David Gardiner

Journalist

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A postcard from the 1980s showing iconic coconut palms. Residents fear the trees will eventually disappear from the Douglas skyline.

Can you imagine an idyllic postcard picture of a beach in Douglas without any coconut palms in the frame?

It is difficult to visualise but residents in at least one of the region’s beach suburbs are concerned that eventually, the swaying coconut trees will disappear from the skyline.

Douglas Shire Council has started its ‘annual weed foreshore management program’ which means the classic coconut tree, because it is classified as an “invasive species”, is among the weeds in its sights for culling and cutting down.

Officially, Council says it is not getting rid of the mature, established palms found in those postcards or in tens of thousands of social media posts that help entice viewers all over Australia and the World to take the ultimate tropical beach holiday here.

“Council only targets juvenile coconut palms which are an invasive species that threaten endangered littoral rainforest and coastal vine thickets,” Mayor Michael Kerr assured Newsport.

“Council does not target mature coconut palms unless they pose a risk to public safety,” he said.

But locals who keep a keen eye on their beachside paradise are worried that an ulterior, longer-term plan might be afoot – to eradicate the coconut palms.

Newell Beach resident Caroline Verschuere said she witnessed a swathe of juvenile coconut trees being destroyed recently by Council’s biosecurity team.

“There has been more than 30 trees cut, I have stopped counting, it upsets me too much,” Ms Verschuere told Newsport.

She and others said they believe “beautiful strong trees” – up to four metres high – have been culled as well, despite Council saying its policy is to take down only the juvenile palms.

“This means by eradicating all juvenile ones, there won't be any new ones to replace old ones so when the few old ones remaining are deemed unsafe, too old... we will be left with nothing!” Ms Verschuere said.

While there have been scientific arguments both for and against coconut trees and their impact along Australia’s northern coastline, she says there are plenty of good environmental benefits, not just aesthetic reasons, for why the palms should be conserved.

“Coconuts are planted in many places around the world to prevent beach erosion,” she said.

“Research shows that their deep roots stabilise the frontal dune and their fallen fronds and nuts, prevent erosion by the wind and tides by trapping sand to build up the dunes. The decomposition of the fronds and nuts puts valuable organic matter into the sand, increasing the fertility.”

But it’s clear that Douglas Council, at this point anyway, has no plans to replant, let alone conserve, its iconic coconut trees.

“As per Douglas Shire Council’s Coconut Management Plan and the Foreshore Management Plans, the biosecurity team has been conducting weed control and removing coconut debris from the Newell beach foreshore as part of a staged program,” Cr Kerr said.

A future stage of the program will involve revegetation works with suitable native foreshore species.”

Coconut trees cut down by Council at Newell Beach. Picture: Caroline Verschuere

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