Port Douglas tree fell issues are growing

Letter to the Editor

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Trees felled on Mitre Street have local residents, including letter writer Helen Walker, angry. Picture: Helen Walker.

Oops they did it again! 

Council just can't help themselves when it comes to eating out of the palms of the developers at the cost of our trees and wildlife. They did it on Langley and Warner streets and now Mitre. When will they see the forest for the trees, so to speak? We understand the need for increased housing, but the utter disrespect for the natural surrounds has been, and continues to be, astounding. 

On Warner St, they cut down four or five trees for "a valid purpose". Locals recall these trees being planted about three decades ago by the local primary school children. Warner is the epitome of a beautiful tree lined street save for the gap where the lopped trees are missing. The only purpose I have observed for the space where those trees once stood, strong and unwavering, is the placement of a pallet here or portaloo there. It is promised that the upmarket housing development will be landscaped. We hope for our collective sake it's substantial landscaping rather than a couple of cursory succulents.

The disgraceful handling of the razed Melaleuca trees on Langley saw the displacement of the flying foxes and many dead ones falling onto the road during their destruction. Unsurprisingly, so many of the plots of land on the much hyped "Beach Front Estate" remain empty with forlorn 'For Sale' signs dotting the area. People relocate to Port Douglas for its ample connection to nature and abundant trees. When you cut the trees down, you lose the inherent value of the land and the area. 

Finally, the abomination at Mitre. We drove by this morning and what a sorry sight/site it was. A local recently uploaded photos and videos to the Port Douglas group on Facebook validly questioning whether the trees on the verge belong to the residents of Port Douglas. 

Looking south, the council needs to take a leaf from the Sunny Coast council's playbook and its 'Street Tree Master Plan'. Since 2018, that council has planted thousands of trees, encouraging the local community to adopt a street tree that it has planted. The visibility of this six year-long initiative is in the area's growing green canopy and tree corridors. That council understands that 'biodiversity and healthy functioning ecosystems are fundamental to all life, and provide essential services such as: cultural heritage, climate change resilience, landscape protection, air quality, waterways health, liveability, productive landscapes, tourism and recreation, healthy communities.

Surely, it's in everyone's interest to achieve these objectives as they also have significant economic benefits. 

As residents, we have a stake in the ownership of all trees. Any trees that are mercilessly chopped down needs to be replaced two-fold. The council needs to increase the demands it makes on developers to repatriate the trees. The cursory couple of cycads or succulents is never good enough. The council needs to be held accountable for ruining the beauty of our area with no foresight and certainly no afterthought for the future. Perhaps it's time to chop them down by voting them out at the next elections.

Helen Walker, Port Douglas

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